New-York tribune., 1922-03-07
Transit Board
Orders /. II. L.
To End jam
Continual from psoo onol

cient frequency to provide ut least an
equal number Of seats in any twenty
minute period to the number Of passcn-
gers using the trains within that
period
Train headway is to remain as nearly
constant as possible and the number Of
cars may vary according to the traffic.
AS the rush hour approaches service
must be speedod up. Cars must be
added to trains in proportion to the
traffic increase preliminary to the rush
hour and, as the peak OF the rush
hour approaches, the headway Of the
trains must be reduced until the maxi
mum service is attained, both as to
number o f cars and frequency OF
trains at tho peak of the rush hour.
When the peak has passed the serv-
ice must not be reduced until the num-
Der of seats provided in any twenty
minute period are equal to the number
of passengers.
Overlooked Rate Fixed
1t is admitted by the commission that
present conditions give small hope of
furnishing seats for all surface car
travellers during the rush hours 1t
" II be the rule of the commission,
however, that the surface car over
load during rush hour must not cx-
ceed so per cent except as rendered
necessary by track capacity.
During non-rush hours surface cars
must be frequent enough to provide
seats within any twenty minute period
for the number Of passengers.
Surface car movement must be OK
pedited throughout the day, the COM
mission has decided and companies will
be required to modernize their equip
ment to that end.
Buses will be compelled to supply
seats for all passengers.
1t is the opinion of the commission
that the financial conditions OF the
transit companies has improved TO such
an extent that they now may start
upon improvement Of service.
Figures On Overlooking
Mr.. Turner said that observations
also had been made Of northbound ex-
press traffic at Ninety-siXth Street and
Broadway on February 8, the day the
southbound traffic was checked, "That
showed that the overlooking began at /
o'clock in the afternoon, north Inbound,
and extended from ] o'clock practically
continuously until l o'clock the next
morning" he said "Standing passen-
gers were carried during every twenty
|
thirty three twenty minute periods out
of a total of thirty-six. The overload
ran up from 8 to PA per cent The
srevice varied from one minute and for
ty.nlnc second intervals to 1iveminuto
intervals, and from 40 cars to twenty
eight cars jn a twenty-minutc period
''lf they can run 10 cars in a twcn-
ty-minuto period you know of no rea-
son Why they have to drop % cars
do you, when there is an overload in
volved Of 200 per cent?" asked Judge
Shearn.
"No reason in the world from an
operating standpoint" Mr.. Turner re
piled. "If the full service had been OPP
Grated standing passengers need tc
have been carried only two hours and
twenty minutes instead of twelve
| hours
Mr. Turner said that ovcrloading or
| the southbound local trains of the
Broadway Seventh Avenue subway cX-
tended from 7:40 in the morning to
noon and ran up to 108 per cent, anc
was observed for two twenty minute
periods between l and o'clock in thc
afternoon and during the evening from
s to $40. He said that the overload
periods on the southbound local coulC
have been reduced to two twentymin
ute periods, or that twenty overload
peroods could have been eliminated by
maximum service. He said that SINH
lar overloads existed on northbounc
local traffic, and Judge Shearn ex-
pressed interest in his assertion that
there was overlooking between and
| 2:d0 q. N.
81 think those must have been news.
paper men going home" Nh Turner
said.
Taking up the Lexington Avenue sub
way, Mr.. Turner said that the overload
on southbound express traffic began at
7 o'clock in the morning and continued
every twenty period except l to
in the afternoon, with a maximum
overload of 223 per cent. The observa
tions for northbound express traffic on
the Lexington Avenue line and for the
local traffic, as reported by Mr.. Tur-
ner, showed conditions substantially
the same as on the Broadway Seventh
Avenue line. Asked to summarize the
observa ton of traffic on the INTERIOR
ough lines, Mr.. Turner said:
Proper Service Outlined
"The total number OF overload pc
riods was 1871 With a proper service
this number could have been reduced
to forty-nine. These 1igures mean that
191 overload periods covered about
81 per cent of the entire time during
the day in both directions on the
trains Of the east and west side sub
ways, and indicated that during those
times the trains carried standing pas
sengers, whereas if the proper service
had been provided such standing loads
would have been carried during only
about per cent of the entire time i'll
both directions.'
AS showing the improved financial
condition of various lines, Fred ".
Linders, chief accountant of the com
mission. testified that the income of
the B. r. T. for the last half of 1921
was $632, ,677.65, as against deficit
for the same period last year of
| S6,9O6 ,86955 For the same period on
the Interborough Rapid Transit Com
pany there was a deficit in 1921 OF
S1,937 ,563.77, as against deficit
in 1920 of $2,682, ,760.03. On the New
York Railways system the same figures
were respectively a deficit of $1,109,-
242.65, as against deficit of 1887,
1885,
After next weeks hearing. at which
the Interborough will be called to &C
count there will be another, at which
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
will have to give good reasons for
maintaining its present service or sub
nit to an order for improvement
Other lines will follow.
The hearing in determining valu-
alton of properties owned by the trac-
tion lines was adjourned until p. m