Evening star., 1927-05-29

CAdSl river luDS pIoNlO SiuSdudtc
transportation facilities for the ever
growing boroughs of Brooklyn and
| Queens and the numerous Long Island
communities.
The need for an additional crossing
! from Manhattan to Queens and Brook
| lyn Is seen in the fact that there is at
present only one such facility north
of Delancey street, the Greensboro
Bridge, which was opened in 1909,
Since that time the Borough of
Queens has increased in population
about 300 per cent, and Brooklyn ap-
proXimately 200 per cent. while the
population of the entire city has in
creased only 25 per cent.
Among the associations of business
men who are behind the movement
for the construction of the proposed
vehicular tunnel is the Fifth Avenue
Association, Inc, which recently is.
sued statement defining the reasons
why construction should be under
taken in the near future.
Plans for Tunnel.
The recommendation for the tunnel
are based primarily upon the fact that
this location is the central point of
the heaviest vehicular load serving
the city. Studies made by the Re-
gional Plan of New York and It's En-
vironS and by the engineers of the two
boroughs indicate that 20 per cent of
the Manhattan traffic bound to Queens
originates south of the existing
Queens Borough Bridge. while 66 per
cent of the vehicles coming to Man
haitian by way of the Queens Borough
Bridge originate at Long Island City,
Greenpoint and the communities south
of and along the Queens boulevard.
In 1909, when the bridge was built,
the question Of motor vehicle traffic
was of little consequence. Today there
are more than 100000 motor vehicles
registered in the city of New York, or
one for every IL persons. In Queens
there Is one for every eight persons.
These figures. the statement says,
merely serve to point out the reasons
for the intolerable conditions that now
exist on the Queens Borough Bridge.
The statement proceeds to point out
10 specific advantages of ma jor impor
tance which would follow upon the
construction of the proposed tunnel.
Among these advantages the state
ment cites that the tunnel would pro-
vide direct connections to Queens and
Brooklyn from the most congeSted
traffic area in the city, and that it
would more than double the existing
capacity for interborough communica
ton. Approximately half of the traf-
fic which now flows over the Queens
Borough Bridge could be diverted to
the tunnel. and in that manner would
provide this bridge with ample ca
pacity to handle the traffic bound for
points north Of Fifty-ninth street.
Taxed to Limit.
At present Queens and the north.
erly end of Brooklyn are served, pri.
marily, by the greensboro Bridge
which, taxed to the limit carries some.
what less than $4,000 vehicles in a
24-hour day. The tunnel would have
capacity of approximately 1000 ve-
hicles an hour in both directions-a
total potential capacity of $4,000 We
hicles day.
Traffic studies show that not more
than 80 per cent of the present
Queensburo@ Bridge traffic originates
north of Fifty-ninth street. The same
studies indicate that "A per cent of
this traffic originates south of Forty
second street and 26 per cent between
Forty.second and Fifty-ninth streets.
With accessible portals north of Forty
second street on the east and west
sides, it. seems q safe assumption that
the route offered by the tunnel would
attract at least 6 per cent of the traf-
fic bound between Forty-second and
Fifty-ninth streets. If only that
amount were diverted, the tunnel
would offer more direct accommoda-
ton to at least so per cent of the
present bridge traffic.
1t has been shown that of all the
traffic now using the Greensboro
Bridge to reach Manhattan, only 80
per cent is bound for noints north
Of Fffty-ninth street. This traffic is
relatively unimpeded in it's progress
through Manhattan. The greatest de-
lay now encountered is on the over
| crowded bridge, and the relief of con.
gestion at that point will ease the pas.
sage of northbound traffic and provide
capacity for a considerable increase.
Adds to Congestion.
The tunnel would eliminate the loop
| movement Of traffic north and south
through Manhattan and Queens which
| causes delay and inconvenience, the
statement points out.
The great bulk of interborough traf-
| fic originating south of the Queens
boro Bridge in Manhattan, Brooklyn
and Queens must now wind its way
| in the three boroughs through the
| most congested thoroughfares of the
entire city. 1t adds measurably to
the congestion and delay at each point
of traffic intersection and increases
materially the time consumed in the
handling of merchandise and the mails
and the time lost to individual motor
| lists.
The time now lost to at least so
| per cent of greensboro Bridge traffic
which could be saved by the use of
| the tunnel, is pproXimately 80 min
utes per vehicle per trip. The total
| time lost for lack of the tunnel is, by
this estimate, at least $4,000 hours per
business day.
Relief from the congestion which
now blocks the thoroughfares of mid
| Manhattan to a point where business
| Stagnation is threatened thus would
| be gained from the construction of
! the tunnel.
| 1t is estimated that nearly 200, 900
vehicles a day traverse the north and
south thoroughfares in Manhattan in
! the neighborhood of Fifty-ninth street.
Approximately 10000 are contributed
| by movement to and from the Queens.
boro Bridge. If large part of this
| traffic could be discharged within a
| comparatively few blocks of its desti-
nation by the construction of the tun-
mel. it is apparent that the relief from
| existing conditions would be substan.
tial. In addition, there would be elm
mated a very large percentage of the
| croSs-town movement which now
blocks the main avenues.
CrOss.Town Movement.
Cross town movement beyond that
required in the conduct of business is
caused largely by the traffic from the
greensboro Bridge and other ap.
proaches on the east and west sides
| OF Manhattan. Much of this traffic
| must cross the contested Sninn of