The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-11-24
SUBTERRANEAN
STREETS SOLVE
TRAFFIC ] ANS
Town With Traffic New York
TRANSPORTATION Experts Say
Is Solution
PROPOSE NEW HIGHWAY
Streets Needed for Pedestrians
as Traffic Reaches Satura.
ton Point
PROPOSE NEW HIGHWAY

New York, Nov. 24.-ManhAttan
vehicular traffic must 60 subterran-
can or aerial, or both, II there is to
be any relief from the congestion
that makes maelstrom Of city
streets during the busy hours Of the
day and night.
cause Of its insular location, the
worlds largest city has to grow
vertically. So its sky-scrspers
stretch farther into the clouds and
it's roots 60 deeper into the rock.
But the streets so far have not
changed.
Thus. say traffic experts and city
planners, streets must grow vertical
~ too. But the popular conception
of New York half century hence,
with level upon level Of elevated
motor highways filling the metro
politan canyons. is only = fantastic
dream, they declare.
Underground Streets
Phillip D. Hoyt, New York traf-
fic commissioner, believes the move-
ment will be downward. .Vehicular
tunnels will interlace the island
somewhat in the manner Of the SUBJ
ways which now carry so many mil
lions daily.
Traffic now has reached the satur-
alton point in certain sections. There
is no longer much attempt to get
around in q motor car on lower
Broadway, in the Wall street Sec
ton. The streets are needed for
pedestrians.
Commuters from Westchester and
Long Island, who may have several
motors, use the trains to get into
New York unless they wish to start
in at the crack of dawn with the milk
wagons.
Hour on One Bridge
During the rush hours it is moth
ing to spend an hour trying to motor
across the Greensboro Bridge, which
is the direct route between Manhat-
tan and Long Island.
This bridge was built to ACCOM-
modate = maximum Of 10000 We
hicles q day. But traffic officers
have counted as many as $4,000 in
4 span of "a hours. This situation
will be somewhat relieved, however,
when q new vehicular level has been
added to the bridge.
Midtown New York, the section
of Times Square, which includes both
the Pennsylvania and the New York
Central stations and the shopping
center Of the city, Is another satur-
alton point. Trying to get from the
east to the west side Of the city,
cross town, is enough to make you
realize that the east and west will
never meet unless you get out and
walk.
At night, the Broadway theatrical
section is = solid jam. The streets
not only are choked with motors, but
with pedestrians, who swarm I'm
from the subway stations and pour
in from the hotels. Those city
jewellers who plan to motor out Of
the city for Sunday, find that they
drive in q regular city traffic-no
matter what direction they 20.
Certainly the traffic condition in
Manhattan is bad" admitted Com.
missioner Hoyt. "But consider the
!city's growth.
in 1912 there were 36,9s4 motors
registered in the city-and they
talked of traffic problem. Today
there are over 900, 900 in the metro
politan area alone.
Have 200 Cops
Ten years ago, TOO policemen
were able to take care Of the traffic.
Today there are 270O men in the
traffic division alone. Besides these.
there are $500 lights to control the
movement Of cars.
with this congested condition,
two Of the city's main arteries Of
traffic have been tied up for the
past year-Park avenue on the east
side being widened and Eighth ave.
nue. on the west side, being i'm
cApacitated because of the subway
that is being built beneath.
The city has q program Of some
25,O0O,O0O worth Of transportation
Improvement, including street wild
enings, and the new 3Sth street tun-
nels and the west side express high
way. which soon are to be begun.
In the next five years, despite the
normal increase in the number Of
motors, conditions should improve"
The proposed highway along the
waterfront Of the Hudson river is
expected to be a great boon to traf-
fic. It is to begin at Canal street,
near the terminal Of the Holland
tunnel, the subterranean route from
New Jersey, and continue along
West street, to Tend street where It
will meet the lower end Of Riverside
drive and will provide . totally new
driveway so feet wide, without cross
traffic.
The 36th/ street tunnels will Join
First avenue and 18th avenue, almost
the width Of the island, in an under
ground thoroughfare without cross
traffic and will relieve some Of the
midtown CONGESTION.