The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-08-14
PROPOSES new
CROSSING PLAN
City Palmer Makes Recon-
mendations to Eliminate
Grade Crossings.
TALK TRANSPORTATION

tation problems of the city of Keno
sha has been prepared by Harland
Bartholomew, city planner, employed
by the City Planning Commission of
Kenosha. The report-a comprehen-
sive one of 35 pages-discusses among
other things railroad transportation in
the city. A special section is devoted
to the discussion of the grade cross
ing problem in the city and it goes in
to every detail from the standpoint
both of the city and the railroad.
'The very comprehensive grade
crossing elimination program mapped
out by the Chicago and Northwestern
railway in accordance with the revised
order for track elevation dated July
II, 1919, carries with it other extern
sive changes such as the four tracking
of the main line through Kenosha
and relocation of the Pearl street
industrial track says Bartholomew
in his report.
cat the same time that this work is
being done, it may be expected that
the yards of the railroad will be re-
The opportunity should also be taken
at this time to locate the passenger
station more adyantageously and to
provide building in better keeping
with size and Importance of the city.
Grade Crossing Elimination.
"The proposed method of eliminating
the grade crossings of the main line
of the C. and N. w. R. r. through
Kenosha, is by track elevation with
90 q
present plans call for track raise
beginning at Fairfield avenue on the
north and extending to a point south
of Selma avenue ON the south. In
general, for ordinary street widths of
sixty-six feet the plans provide for a
line Of supports in the center of the
street and upon each curb line, thus
dividing the opening into two road
ways % feet wide and two sidewalks
10 feet wide. An underclearance of
13 feet above the crown of the street
is contemplated and the floor thick
ness of the subway floor is assumed at
about feet below the top of the rail.
"The grade crossing elimination
program if carried out in it's entirety
will prove of immediate and inesti-
mable benefit to the city. Under the
terms of the order the city must pay
claims for abutting damages, but these
will be small indeed if the claimants
can be made to realize the extent to
which their property will be increased
in value after the work is done. The
city could well afford, if it can be
arranged, to purchase outright-at cur
rent prices all such so-called damaged
property and re-selling later at it's
new. price, realize substantially on
the investment.
1T is to be hoped that eventually the
present main line passing through Ke-
nosha will be of four track construc-
ton the entire distance between Chi
done, the line can be used more large
ly for freight as well as passenger
traffic, thus speeding up the service.
"The farm yard which is. located on
the K. and D. division in the westerly
part of the city, now has capacity
of about 40 cars. 1t is not well
planned for classification yard that
will care for the industrial output of
this section. In the event that the
shore line now used mainly for pas
senger traffic is used also for freight,
this yard will not be we'll located for
the makeup of trains to go out on
what is now the passenger division, as
there will be too much traffic on
streets at grade crossings and an ex-
cess of dead movement Mt is felt that
a yard to the north of Kenosha will
later become more useful, especially
as that large area just beyond the
north city limits promises to become
a very important industrial district If
the present passenger line is maintain
ed exclusively for that purpose.
The New Passenger Station.
"The present passenger station of
the c. and N w. R. R., although con-
veniently located, has become too
small for its purpose and is obsolete
in its arrangement and appointments.
AS the elevation of the tracks will
necessitate very radical change in
the station anyway, its relocation at
the intersection of Market street
should cause little if any increased
expense and will materially add to the
attractiveness Of the city. 1t is sug-
gested in connection with the con-
structon of the station that as much
as possible of the space underneath
the tracks be utilized both to pro-
vide for future expansion of the sta
ton facilities and for parking room
for automobiles. For this reason, it
is recommended that considerable
portion of the track elevation through
Kenosha be by concrete trestle instead
of solid earth fill and retaining wall.
The trestle should not cost a great
deal more and may cost less than re-
tanning walls and fill and the space
thus provided will have a very high
value" concludes Bartholomew.