The City's Plan.- Many of the plans presented for solving the problem of the Brooklyn bridge crush presuppose that the city is following no plan of its own. The fact is, however, that for the last year and a half the city has been following a definite policy as to the future of the Brooklyn bridge. No results of this policy have yet been put in operation, but in order to make plain the difference between the past lack of policy and the present definiteness of the city's plans, it will be well to state the method of operation that has obtained during the past year and what will go into operation in 1908 and thereafter. At present during the rush hours shuttle cars operate from one bridge terminal to the other. Passengers using Brooklyn elevated roads and the bridge pay five cents and those using the bridge only pay three cents. All through passengers are compelled to change cars at the Brooklyn terminal of the bridge. All surface cars charge five cents for a ride across the bridge. The new plan on which the city authorities are now working is entirely different. The aim is to do away with the change of cars at the Brooklyn terminal both morning and evening. The first requirement in the accomplishment of this object is to cause the passengers paying a three-cent fare to use the surface cars instead of the elevated trains. To accomplish this a loop is now under construction at the Brooklyn terminal of the bridge. When this is completed a line of surface cars will pass back and forth from one bridge terminal to the other carrying passengers for the three-cent fare. The removal of these passengers from the elevated trains will allow the discontinuance of the Brooklyn end of the bridge as an elevated terminal, and trains will proceed through this station without stopping. The bridge shuttle cars will be discontinued, and all elevated trains across the bridge will be through trains. As only five-car elevated trains can be introduced through the Manhattan terminal as now arranged, the Bridge Department has extended the Manhattan terminal west to the edge of City Hall park in order that six-car trains may be used. This extension, however, is only temporary, for when the station on the site of the Staats Zeitung building is completed, many of the bridge trains will run into it, and at that time the extension of the bridge across Park Row can be removed. It is expected that part of the through trains operated across the bridge will, when the Staats Zeitung site station and the Center street loop are completed, operate to and across the Williamsburg bridge. Later, when the Manhattan bridge is completed the same operation to some extent may take place between the Brooklyn bridge and the Manhattan bridge. It is not designed, however, that all of the trains crossing the Brooklyn bridge will operate through the subway loop, but part of them will go into pockets at the Manhattan terminal for loading and unloading. The land for the large building which will serve as a terminal both for part of the Brooklyn bridge trains and cars and for part of the Brooklyn subway loop trains, has already been acquired. Thus it will be seen that the city is pursuing a definite policy. It is well that this fact should be appreciated as it helps to show why some of the plans suggested for operating the Brooklyn bridge by continuing the change of cars at the Brooklyn terminal cannot well be adopted. Improvements Under Way. Following is a summary of the improvements under way and the public works now in course of construction, having for their aim the lessening of the Brooklyn bridge crush: The large station to be erected on the site of the Staats Zeitung building, which will facilitate through trains. New types of cars with greater carrying capacity, larger and more convenient platforms and other arrangements for loading and unloading more quickly. The lengthening of the elevated terminal at the Manhattan end of the bridge. The projected Sands street viaduct, which is estimated to allow the operation of twenty-five per cent. more surface cars over the bridge. The surface loop line for carrying bridge passengers only at a three-cent fare. The Battery tunnel, which is soon to be in actual operation, and which will deflect considerable travel from the Brooklyn bridge. The connection of the Broadway (Brooklyn) elevated railroad with the Williamsburg bridge, so that trains may be run to the Delancey street station, which will attract a part of the Williams burg and Ridgewood travel and slightly relieve the Brooklyn bridge. The Center street subway, or so-called Brooklyn loop subway, leading from the Williamsburg bridge to the City Hall, Manhattan, which will afford great relief to the Brooklyn bridge, as it will draw a large portion of the travel which now goes over the Brooklyn bridge, to the Williamsburg bridge, it being a more direct line to Williamsburg, Ridgewood, East New York, Jamaica and Queens county. The Manhattan bridge, which will afford still more substantial relief, as it will have four sets of tracks for trains instead of one as on the Brooklyn bridge, and which will connect through to City Hall, Manhattan, by subway. G. STATEN ISLAND. Many complaints of the inadequacy of transit facilities in the Borough of Richmond have been received by the Commission. These complaints related to defective equipment of cars and tracks, inadequate connections between the different sections of Staten Island, lack of convenient connecting service between the railroads and the ferries, irregularity of service, danger to life from incompetent employces, and other matters. They were voiced in early and forcible protest at a public hearing at which the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, the Anti-Nuisance League, the borough president and others appeared and demanded certain definite improvements. The transit facilities in Richmond are in the hands of four companies: Electric Street Railways. The Richmond Light and Railroad Company. Steam Railroads. The Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway Co. The Staten Island Railway Co. The two steam roads are under one management, and are under stock control of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The two street surface roads are operated practically as one road. Orders for hearings (Nos. 75 and 76) were served on the two street railways, to determine the necessity of: 1. The extension of the Richmond Light & Railroad Co. line from Bull's Head to Linoleumville, and from Bull's Head to New Springville. 2. The extension of the Staten Island Midland Railway line in Manor road, from Eckstein's Brewery to Egbertsville. 3. Double tracking of certain portions of the road. 4. Increase of number of cars run from St. George during the evening rush hours. 5. Extensive additions and repairs to rolling stock and equipment of both lines. 6. Failure on the part of the street surface roads to issue · transfers between the several lines. Numerous complaints against the two steam railroads related to inadequate service, dangerous grade crossings, and their interference with general passenger and vehicular traffic. This last was particularly true of the crossings at Clifton and Port Richmond, where observation was made and the crossings found closed to travel from 2 hours and 57 minutes to 3 hours and 5 minutes, or for 26.6 per cent. to 37.7 per cent. of the time between 6 a. m. and 6 p. m. Complaint was also made of the insufficient safety devices at such crossings; unnecessary noises of whistling; blowing of steam and shifting of locomotives at night near Clifton, in the vicinity of the United States Marine Hospital and at other places; bad connections with ferries, with apparent disregard of schedules in this particular; nuisance caused by the use of soft coal; discrimination in service to the injury of certain parts of Staten Island in the interests of other localities; excessive fares; refusal of transfers; improper lighting and unsanitary conditions of cars; inadequate and poorly lighted station waiting rooms and shelters. Orders for hearings (Nos. 77 and 78) were issued against the Staten Island Railway Company and the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway Company, and after much testimony had been taken, two final orders were issued. Order No. 174 directed: I. That the Staten Island Railway Company adopt the following precautions and install, at or near grade crossings and maintain the following appliances for the better protection of its employees and the public. (A) Bell and Signals. At all double track crossings not provided with gates, the company shall provide and maintain two automatic, electrically operated warning bells, one on each side of the track and diagonally opposite to each other, so that both bells, at any given crossing, shall be rung by every train passing that crossing, and one bell at all single track crossings, the company to maintain all bells and signals in good working order and test same at each crossing at least once daily, in the morning, reports of such tests to be regularly made and promptly filed at the principal operating office of the company. The provisions of this subdivision are to be completed not later than March 15, 1908. (B) Warning Signs. At every grade crossing where double tracks occur, warning signs shall be properly located and maintained, one on either side of the track and diagonally opposite each other, and where one track only occurs, one such sign shall be properly located and maintained. The provisions of this subdivision are to be completed not later than February 10, 1908. (C) Planking. Where there are two tracks, each crossing, specified below, shall be planked for the full width between the rails and have one twelve-inch plank outside of each outer rail, such planking to extend across the full width of the highway and filling between guard-planks and to be kept evenly graded with the top of the rails and solidly packed. |