Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-28
ALDERMEN IN FIGHT FOR
BETTER CROSSING PLANS
CONTINUED from page ~

a means of crossing the tracks be-
tween Hall avenue n Woodbridge
Creek would be furnished. If the
new plans are put through, he said.
pedestrians would endanger thei:
lives more than at present in sliding
down and climbing up the proposed
cut for the railroad. Joseph Masso-
Ipust declared it would be possible
to tunnel under the railroad at AL
pine street. thus furnishing one
means of getting from n side Of
the tracks to the other without EN-
dangering life or limb.
MAIDS j. Dinesen spoke of the diff
ference in the plans as worked out
by the city in 1915 and by the rail-
roads last year.. both of which were
approved by Engineer Hand. In
1915. he said, when Mr.. Hand was
engaged by the city a deep u was
representing the railroads, a diffec'
ent view has been taken by the en-
gineer with the results that his lat
est plans show a u less by sew
eraI feet than that offered by him
seven wears ago. The present
grade on the Central railroad will
be lowered according to F. l..
Smith's plans. Mr.. Dinesen said.
With reference to the grade cross
ings at Broad, Washington and Will
lam streets on the Pennsylvania spur
Max Shapiro maintained that they
should be eliminated as we'll as 9TH
err crossings, declaring that hun
dreds Of vehicles pass over these
streets daily.
The railroad companies have
three years in which to eliminate
their grade crossings in Perth Am
boy, Engineer Booz said, explaining
the method whereby the grade cross
ing in various cities are eliminated
by the railroads, a schedule being
followed out whereby a certain
number must be done away with
each year. Mr.. Booz said that rails
| ing the Lehigh Valley tracks, ac-
cording to Engineer Smiths plan,
would result in the Lehigh Valley
yard level being interferred with to
such an extent that the present
could not be used. A retaining wall
would either have to be built, he
said, on both sides of the tracks or
the tracks would have to be spread.
City Attorney Goldberger explain
led why in his estimation the new
railroad plans differ considerably
from the 1915 plans. He said that
in 1915 the plans applied only to the
Central railroad but since then the
Pennsylvania railroad had entered
into a working agreement with the
other road and consequently must
be considered. The Lehigh Valley
grade crossing was not affected in
the 1915 plans, MIR. Goldberger said.
In reply-to the question by Joseph
Massopust: do o admit this
plan of yours will end grade ross
ing troubles in this city?" Engineer
Smith replied: NO. 1t will mark
only the beginning of the work in
the northern part of the city,"
Alderman-at-large Calvin explain
ed that the railroad companies are
interested only in five street cross
ings. 1T the city wants the Hall ave
luz bridge made the full width of
the street and of an ornamental
character, he said, the city must
finance it. If a bridge is built over
the Fayette street crossing the city
must finance this also. and so on
with all additional work. the chair!
man of the meeting said.
Louis Peterson suggested that a
vote be taken of those present in
order to get the consensus of opin-
ion on what the residents favored
and that the aldermen apply to the
Public Utility Commission for the
elimination of all other grade cross
ings in the city. According to the
city attorney special legislation
would have to be enacted before
such a curse could be pursued.
William Sellers favored going over
all of the plans, picking out the best
features in each and fighting for
them.
The general sentiment of those
present was voiced by Chairman
Calvin when he said: IF we can't
get better results than the railroads
are willing to give us now we won't
take anything" The city was warn
ed against hurrying up matters in
order to get something definite de-
cided upon at once. 'Once we get
the crossings eliminated they will
remain that way. one speaker said,
"and it behooves us to go ahead
slowly at this time rather than to
rush matters now and repent at a
later date when it is too late"
A. meeting of all residents inter-
ested in the grade crossing PROPOSE
ton has been called for tonight in
the Western Improvement Associa-
tion Hall in Brace avenue. Tomor-
row morning at 1880 o'clock in the
Kinney building, Broad and Market
streets. Newark, the hearing on this
matter will be held before the utility
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