Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-09

l ~ AAhAAA9
purposes, and this space was so in
sufficient that the principal side
streets were used for arking to an
average depth of fully one-half a
block. With cars parked on each
side of Smith ST., it is practically i'm
possible for a line of vehicles to
move in each direction without en-
croaching on the trolley track.
\ When a trolley car moves along the
! street, vehiculair traffic is almost at
a standstill. 1t is substantially true
that the speed of vehicular traffic
along Smith st, cannot exceed the
| speed of the trolley car. This con-
dition exists owe a distance of about
one-half mile OIL blocks, along
which cars move every seven and
one-half minutes, making four stops.
The least maneuvering of vehicles,
as for getting up to the curb. or the
stopping of a trolley a at the Cen
trail Railroad switch, causes a virtual
blocking of all traffic.
| 1t has been found impracticable
or undesirable entirely to stop park
ing. When a Is minute limit vas es-
t~ablished, some time since, it was
found that the regulation was bad
for business because shoppers were
hurried. Now a four minute sched-
ule is being tried. The convenience
of their customers is far more impor-
tant to the merchants of Smith st.
and important cross streets than the
| through traffic which will clog that
, street as a result Of the construction
of the new bridge. 1t is believed
that the only merchants who derive
any considerable revenue from the
through traffic are those located at
! the eastern end of the street who sell
edibles to the occupants of a wait
ing for the ferry.
The new bridge will have no re-
lieving effect. In fact, in SO far Is
it facilitates communication with
southern New Jersey, 1t will tend to
increase the Tottenville traffic.
Temporary Possibilities in the Way
of Relief
It has been proposed to utilize
New Brunswick avenue as a route
between the ferry and Convery
Place. The primary argument against
this is that this involves over five
eighths of a mile extra distance. New
Brunswick avenue, is a. trunk line
tapping communities like Metuchen,
adjacent to Perth Amboy. 1t serves
the entire western portion of the city,
a section which is rapidly building
up. 1t is an essential artery, a part
Of the city's internal circulation. 1t
carries business to the city and
should not be made a ~thoroughfare
for nonstop traffic, excepting such
outgoing westbound or northbound
traffic as 1t can best serve or as can
be served only by 1t.
Another possibility is that of
carrying traffic between the ferry
and the new bridge through Market
ST., Grace st. and Smith st. This is
a development of the present route.
1t is fortunate that this possibility
exists. for it is certain hat eve with
the adoption of the plan herein pro-
posed, the route by way of Market
st. will be i~mperative.y needed at
peak hours by the time the bridge is
in use. The utilization of Market
st. jointly with another street will,
in fact, make it possible to provide
in an emergency for handling traffic
in the two directions between Con-
very Place and the ferry. Such a di-
vision provides a comprehensive So
luton and will actually increase the
s eed of traffic, even though in large
volume, over what is now possible.
A Plan for Real Relief
The definite plan contemplated by
this report is that of extending Fay
cite st. to Convery Place. This would
give a continuous, direct thorough
fare from the waterfront to the
bridge approach. No other thor
oughfare can be provided which has
these characteristics excepting Smith
st. itself. 1t Is essential to this plan
that a bridge be provided over the
Central Railroad of New Jersey de-
preston for the crossing of Fayette
ST., and the expense would be COM
pa~ratively small If the plan were
adopted now. The necessary eleva-
ton of Fayette st. at the crossinStI
point would be only about three feet.
There is a Lehigh Valley Railroad
switch to be crossed at grade near
the eastern end OF the proposed eX-
tension, but this switch is little used.
This extension would furnish a ts-
c:lity not now available and would
take the Objectionable through traf-
fic entirely away from Smith st.
Trucks leaving the ferry could swing
north at Front ST., and passenger
cars at Water st. or High st. Event
ually, it might be desirable for the
city to take over certain properties
on Front st. for the purpose of wild
ening this street to normal width.
Objections to the Plan
While no serious objection is an
ticipated to the method herein out
lined for handling through ferry
traffic, the following considerations
are appropriate:
/. It may be felt that Smith st.
will be injured al a business street
by a wholesale diversion of through
traffic. We believe, on the contrary,
that unless this diversion is accom-
plished, Smith st. is facing calamity.
After ten years of S as a throu+
traffic artery, Market st. between
Sheridan and High SITS, having a to-
tai frontage of 1000 feet, is So per
cent. residential. The balance of the
frontage is about equally divided be-
tween automobile establishments OF
one sort or another, industrial uses,
and relatively unimportant, small,
local stores. These last utilize about
four percent of the total frontage.
2. The proposed westward extern
sion Of Fayette street goes through
a tract of undeveloped land. pre-
sumbably regarded rs suitable for
Industrial development. 1t is be-
lieVed that the interest OF the city
as a whole favors another type OF
development, at least on the south
side of Fayette street. The land
north of Fayette street, which has
railroad frontage, may be left in
dustriaI. Assessed values in this re-
gion are now very low and there
are only two improvements, both OF
minor value and not industrial in
their nature, which would have to
be destroyed for the purpose OF the
DrODosed extension.