The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-28
AGREEMENT SEEN
 ON RELIEF PLAN
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(COntinued From Page 7.) and that eventually the railroads and the city will get together without re- sorting to the courts. Since al conferences held with ref erence to grade separation were execu- tive, so far as the public was concerned, the published statements are very en- Tightening.
 No clearer or more concise statement of the problem was ever made than that of General Sibert contained in his communication published September 3, which is as follows: :
 Ideal Solution"
 "If the railroad tracks to be crossed, in this distance, could be raised enough for vehicular traffic to pass under them, with grades not exceeding three per cent, or lowered enough for such traffic to pass over them with similar grade. an ideal solution would result in either case" A.5. :
 This statement will be referred to hereafter as the ideal solution.'
 It seems that the first plans sub mitted were those proposed by the city engineer providing for grade separation, at Fourteenth, Eighteenth and Twen- tieth streets by depressing the streets
 
 Twenty-fourth street by viaduet.
 These plans were objected to by the railways and by the chamber of com merce committee as well.
 The railways later prepared and sub mitted plans calling for viaducts at Fourteenth, Eighteenth and Twenty fourth streets; Twentieth street cross ing to remain undisturbed for all time to come.
 These plans were considered by the committee and its engineer, only; and apparently were rejected, and the engineer was instructed to prepare plans involving the lowering of the rail road tracks at Twentieth street and Eighteenth street sufficiently to make viaducts at these streets practicable.
 Such plans were prepared and con sidered at a. joint meeting of the city officials, the chamber of commerce con- mittee and the railroad officials. These plans, l am informed, were objected to by the city on account of the steep grades providing on the, approaches G per cent), the raising of the inter- sections at Morris avenue and Twen- tieth street and at Eighteenth street and First avenue, the abadopment Of the track on Morris avenue between Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets, the interference with local freight deliver ies, heavy damages to the abutting property, and for numerous other req sons. The railways objected to the lowering of their tracks eseven feet at Twentieth street, and the increasing of the grades on their main line tracks. It was then undertaken to revise the plans so as not to disturb the elevation of the tracks at Twentieth street, but the six per cent grades were retained on the viaduct approaches So 1t is obvious that none of these yiaduct plans approached anywhere near the ideal solution"
 The plans prepared by the city engt- ner provided for underpasses Ut Fourteenth, Eighteenth and Twentieth streets and Yiaduct at Twenty fourth street.
 Viaducts Costly
 The cost of the viaduct construction and consequential damage, in my Opin- ion, would equal, if not exceed, the cost of constructing the underpass, together with the consequential damages incident thereto. If this is true, the expense need not be considered in comparing the two plans.
 General Sibert's principal objections to the underpasses are as follows:
 1. Grade crossings are maintained at Powell avenue and at Avenue. A. This is tUue in either the viaduct or underpass plan with probably more danger of collisions in case of the via ducts, since vision would be greatly obstructed by the viaduct supports at these crossings. All railway grade crossings are admittedly dangerous, n fy incurring great expense in their eh- imitation.
 I ascertained from the freight depart ment of the Southern and s. A. l.. rail ways the following facts with reference to the railway traffic at these crossings
 On Powell avenue, about 10 a. m. each day switch engine with few ears passes across Twentieth street shortly returning. No other trains, during the day, cross except on rare oc- casions a delayed car of. perlshable freight is pushed across Twentieth street.
 On Avenue "A" about [ a. m. and at z D. m. switch engine transfers few cars across Twentieth and returns. Occasionally when a car misses connec- ton it is transferred across Twentieth sreeet about noon. In neither case IS there any see-sawing across Twentieth street, nor are the trains allowed to stop in the street, each train is preceded by a flagman. It is worthy of note that none of these crossings are made during rush hours. In degrees of dangerous ness many, many other grade crossings in the city take precedence over these. l therefore, do not feel that the railways should be asked to incur the expense of such grade separation under the exist ing traffic, since the construction of the underpasses will not interfere with the future separation of the grades at these avenues.
 ,. Prevents grade separation on Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
 I feel quite certain that General Sibert has not looked into the practic- ability of erecting viaducts along these streets over the tracks. In their present locations and at their present elevations. The conditions at Sixteenth street lend themselves perhaps more farOrably to viaduct construction than either Eff teenth street, or Seventeenth street. A viaduct constructed along this street ex- tending from First avenue to Avenue 'B' would require greater than ID per cent grade on the north approach, and greater than a IA per cent grade on the south approach in order that all the intervening tracks may be properly cleared.
 If 6 per cent grades are used on the approaches (which in my opinion are excessive), the tracks can he properly cleared by elevating the intersection of First avenue and Sixteenth street over nine feet and the intersection of Sixteenth street, and Avenue "B," over twelve feet. either of which is absolute ly impracticable.
 The only possible method for crossings