The New York herald., 1922-10-01
SURFACE Lines HAVE
CHIEF TRANSIT gain
Register Three-quarters of
98,4O4,530 Increase in
Fiscal Year.
TRAFFIC ON 81 LOSES
Commission Finds Subways
to Be Needed Urgently
for Many Sections.
AVERAGE RIDE is LONGER
Heavy Falling Off Shown by
Sixth Avenue Elevated
Recently.
AVERAGE RIDE IS LONGER

More than two and half billion
revenue passengers rode upon the sur
face, subway and elevated lines of
New York city last year, according to
figures made public by the Transit
Commission yesterday. This traffic was
divided approximately go per cent. to
the rapid transit routes elevated and
subway lines) and 40 per cent. to the
surface lines. The total trafflc-2,590,
313, an increase of 98,-
4O4,530 over 1921.
Curiously, more than three-quarters
of this increase was upon the surface
lines, the increase being divided 23.-
oS7,691 to the rapid transit lines and
75,316.S59 to the surface lines. The
relatively small showing for the rapid
transit lines was occasioned by the
fact that the Manhattan elevated, of
the Interborough system, actually lost
traffic to the extent of 25,776,235 as
compared with 1921.
The figures were collected by the COM
mission from the monthly reports sup
piled to 1t by the railroad companies.
and cover the fiscal year ended June 30.
The traffic upon steam railroad and
omnibus lines Is not included. Only one
omnibus line-the Fifth Avenue Coach
Company-reports its traffic to the
Transit Commission.
Traffic Grows Rapidly.
The figures show that the traffic Of
New York still continues to grow by
leaps and bounds. The increase since
1919 has been more than 500, 600, 900. or
at the rate of about 20 per cent The
per capita riding has increased from 421
In 1920, and 427 last year. to 44S this
year, based upon an estimated popula-
ton OF the city in 1922 of 5,7S0.670.
The per capita riding in 1860, the first
year of which there is any record avail
able, was AZ.
Illustrative of the great traffic growth
and of the need of all existing facilities
and for as many more as rapidly az they
can be provided, the commission also
has tabulated figures for former years
In 1908, a little less than twenty years
ago, the billion mark in street railroad
traffic was passed. This was the year
before the opening Of the first subway.
In 1906. two years after the opening
of the first subway, the traffic aggre-
gated billion and a quarter. 1t there
fore has more than doubled in sixteen
years. There has, however. been no
equivalent increase in transportation
facilities, for while the subways have In
creased in number and the capacity of
the elevated railroads has been increased
hu IN ird fraN ha
surface car track mileage has tended
to decrease steadily by the abandonment
os lines
Surface Cars Just Feeders.
More rapid transit lines are needed
urgently for, coincident with the in
crease In traffic, the length of ride has
increased. and 1t has been demonstrated
that with the increase in general We
hicular traffic and street congestion the
surface cars. while PRACTICAL" indispen-
sable and while possessing tremendous
possibilities for short haul and feeder
traffic, are becoming less and less a So
luton of the long haul transportation
problem.
No exact analysis has been made to
account for the heavy falling off In
Intcrborough "L" traffic The heaviest
loss was upon the Sixth avenue elevated
line, where the decrease was more than
ten and three-quarter millions The next
largest loss was upon the Third avenue
line, where the decrease was about
100000. The Ninth and Second ave-
nue. lines lost 100000 and $500, 200 re-
spectively. Interborough officials are
inclined to attribute some of this loss to
removals to Brooklyn and to suburban
sections
The large loss on the Sixth avenue
elevated line probably is due in part to
competition offered by the adjacent
Broadway subway Of the B. r. T., which
during the year had a large gain in
traffic. The gain upon the Interbor-