Brooklyn Bridge.- Extent of jurisdiction of commission over.

[The Commission has jurisdiction only over the service afforded by the operating companies on Brooklyn Bridge and not over the structure itself.]

At the time the Commission was created there was great congestion during rush hours at Brooklyn Bridge and a committee upon the subject was appointed, which presented the following opinion:

COMMISSIONER BASSETT :—

OPINION OF COMMISSION.

Your committee on the Brooklyn Bridge, after a careful consideration and study of existing conditions, makes this preliminary report, for the purpose of setting forth the remedies that are being provided to lessen present congestion.

It should, from the outset, be understood that our jurisdiction extends only to the service afforded the public by the operating companies, and not to the structure itself.

The extreme congestion on the Brooklyn Bridge is the result of many years growth. It arises from the fact that this bridge is to-day substantially the only avenue between the two greatest boroughs of the city, and when it is considered that eight elevated lines in Brooklyn are focused into the one elevated bridge track and twice as many Brooklyn surface lines are focused into one trolley track, it can be readily seen that some congestion is inevitable until the traffic can be decreased. Human ingenuity cannot, in the space of a few months, bring relief to a situation, the fundamental cause of which is that too many lines of transit and too great a number of people are compelled to use it. The only entire cure for the Brooklyn bridge crush is to deflect to other river crossings part of the people that are now compelled to use this bridge.

While it is likely that various devices would mitigate the present bridge crush, and some of these devices might well have been put in operation during the past four or five years to accomplish this result, the fact remains that at the present time and for the last nine months, the city has been pursuing a definite policy of bridge relief, that will soon produce increasing benefits, and it would not be wise to insist on the adoption of minor alleviations that would require a large expendi ture of time and money to install and which would run counter to the plans which the city authorities have decided upon.

The definite plan decided upon by the city is that there shall be through trains in rush hours, so that the extra change at the Brooklyn terminal shall stop. This through service and the better sorting of passengers at the Manhattan terminal will later be facilitated by the construction of the large station to be erected on the site of the Staats-Zeitung building, where the land is now being cleared for this purpose.

We will proceed to enumerate the various steps of relief now in preparation: 1. Under the orders of this board, the equipment of the various operating companies is being improved, to avoid break-downs and minor delays.

2. New types of surface cars with double size platforms for quick loading are being designed.

3. Increased policing, to prevent disorder, and increased traffic regulation on the roadways, to prevent delays to surface cars. This feature is under the charge of the Bridge and Police Departments.

4. The elevated terminal at the Manhattan end of the bridge is now being lengthened so that six-car trains can be placed in the pockets and entered more conveniently than now in the evening rush hours. It is expected by the Bridge Department that, on the completion of this work in a short time, the change of cars at the Brooklyn end of the bridge, which has been a source of such annoyance and delays for many years, will cease.

5. Plans for rearrangement of the Brooklyn terminals are being prepared so that on the completion of the last mentioned improvements additional empty trains can start in Brooklyn.

6. The Sands street viaduct, now fully approved and about to begin construction, will carry the surface cars above Sands street and prevent constant delays from grade crossings at that point.

* See footnote, page 9.

7. The completion of the Battery tunnel within the next few months will deflect a considerable part of the travel from the Brooklyn bridge. This will constituts the first fundamental remedy for the bridge congestion, inasmuch as it will be the first provision of an alternative method of crossing the East river by rapid transit. 8. The connection of the Broadway, Brooklyn, elevated road with the Williams. burg Bridge, so that through trains may be run to the station under Delancey street. The completion of this connection and the Delancey street station, both of which are now under construction, will attract part of the Williamsburg and Ridgewood travel to come to Manhattan by that bridge instead of by the Brooklyn Bridge, as at present.

9. The completion of the Centre street subway leading from the Williamsburg Bridge to the City Hall, Manhattan, now under construction, and expected to be completed in about two and one-half years, will probably afford the greatest relief to the Brooklyn Bridge of any single improvement now under contract, except the Manhattan Bridge. It will deflect a large portion of the Brooklyn Bridge travel to the Williamsburg Bridge, as the new route will afford the more direct line for Williamsburg, Ridgewood, East New York, Brownsville, Woodhaven and Jamaica. 10. The completion of the Manhattan Bridge, now in course of construction, and which is expected to be finished soon after the Centre street subway, will afford still more substantial relief to the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge will have four sets of tracks for trains, instead of one set, as on the Brooklyn Bridge. It will connect through to City Hall, Manhattan, by way of the Centre street subway.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the city is now following a definite policy of Brooklyn Bridge relief.

Constant day and night inspection is carried on by this Commission as a basis for suggestions or orders to the operating companies for improvements.

[Recommendations made to the Bridge Commissioner that during rush hours no heavily loaded wagons be allowed to cross the Brooklyn Bridge and that all vehicles crossing during these hours be required to keep off the car tracks.]

Commissioner Bassett read the following resolution and then made a brief statement regarding it:

Whereas, The Bridge Department has compiled data showing that heavily loaded vehicles crossing Brooklyn Bridge in rush hours and the use of the surface tracks by the lighter vehicles are one of the main causes of delays and slow moving of surface cars over the Brooklyn Bridge, and these findings of the Bridge Department having been confirmed by investigation made by this board:

Resolved, That this board earnestly recommends to the Bridge Commissioner as a means of increasing the usefulness of the Brooklyn Bridge for the traveling public in rush hours, that he put into force two rules substantially as follows:

First. That during rush hours, from 7 to 9 A. M., and from 5 to 7 P. M., no heavily loaded wagons be allowed to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, and

Second. That all vehicles crossing the Brooklyn Bridge during these hours be required to keep off the car tracks.

Commissioner Bassett: "Inspection during the last two months has discovered that one of the main causes for the slow movement of the trolley cars in rush hours is this blocking on the bridge roadway by heavily loaded teams that break down and by lighter vehicles that get on the tracks between the electric cars. The figures of the loss of time caused by overloaded trucks show that in July 192 minutes of stoppage was caused from this reason alone, and a total of stoppage due to vehicular traffic on the bridge amounted to 367 minutes. In the month of * See footnote, page 9.

August these figures were 20 minutes, due to overloaded trucks and 402 minutes due to all vehicular traffic. Slow movements caused by vehicular traffic amount to as much more. The number of overloaded trucks that go over in rush hours is small, averaging only about eight vehicles during a single rush period, but out of those eight fully loaded vehicles, there is very great liability of one or more breaking down and causing the delay of thousands of people. We have carefully considered whether these regulations would be a hardship to the truckmen and merchants of the city, and have concluded that as the number of these heavily loaded trucks is so small and as it will be possible for them to go either before or after the rush hours or to cross the other bridge or ferries, it will benefit the greatest number to promulgate these rules. At the end of a hard day's work the horses seem to be in a weakened condition and going over the bridge with its high grades in the evening rush hours causes stoppages. I wish to say, too, that the same offenders have broken down one time after another and in some cases it has almost looked as though they depend upon getting in a steep part of the bridge and having the cars push them over with the help of poles in the height of the rush hours. This is a practice that can so easily be remedied without hardship to many that for the sake of the travelling public, it seems entirely right to put it into force. We have conferred with the Bridge Commissioner on these matters and are working in entire harmony with him.

In case of the lighter vehicles, the trouble is that they dash into the spaces between the trolley cars and run ahead and then cannot find an opening in the line of trucks to get out and into the stream of wagon traffic again, and the number of people rushing in in that way often completely fills up the space between the trolley cars, destroying all freedom of movement and thus obstructing traffic. Under the charter, the Bridge Commissioner is the one to promulgate these rules." Chairman Willcox: They could, however, be put into effect by the Bridge Commissioner."

Commissioner Bassett: "They could have been, and will be if the Bridge Commissioner, as he no doubt will, will follow our suggestions in this respect." Commissioner Eustis : "I think he has power to keep the trucks off the bridge at all times. I think an overloaded truck should be kept off at all times."

Commissioner Bassett: "We are not using the words 'overloaded '- it is heavily

loaded.'"

Chairman Willcox: "Do you know that the Bridge Commissioner has any rules relating to the bridge traffic?"

Commissioner Bassett: "Yes, he has."

Chairman Willcox: "But nothing to affect the points that you wish to make." Commissioner Bassett: "There is nothing that substantially affects these points." The resolution was adopted.

October 11, 1907.

Additional Subway for Manhattan and The Bronx.

[The Broadway-Lexington Avenue Subway route as modified ought to be constructed. No connection should be made with present subway at Forty-second street, as the present subway has all the traffic it can handle and competitors of the Interborough would be at a disadvantage in bidding for operation.]

REPORT OF COMMITTEE.

The Committee of the Whole presented to the Commission the following report of its sub-committee, consisting of Commissioners Maltbie and Eustis, upon the matter of additional subways for Manhattan and The Bronx:

December 30, 1907.

To the Public Service Commission for the Frst District. SIRS Your committee appointed to report upon additional subways for Manhattan and the Bronx, beg to submit the following report:

The urgent need for the immediate construction of another rapid transit subway in Manhattan and the Bronx needs no proof. Every person who uses the present lines knows that they are congested, that the conditions of overcrowding are indecent and that every improvement that can be made will hardly be sufficient to

See footnote, page 9.

keep pace with the growth of traffic prior to the time when a new subway may be opened, to say nothing of relieving the congestion which now exists. The question is not whether a new subway is needed, therefore, but where a new line may be located most advantageously and which of the several routes that are needed should be constructed first.

In the opinion of your committee, the subway which should be started first is the Broadway-Lexington avenue line, running from the Battery up Broadway or Greenwich and Vesey streets to the post-office, thence up Broadway to Tenth street or thereabouts, thence under private property and public streets to Irving place, thence up Irving place and Lexington avenue to the Harlem river, thence under the Harlem river to One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street or thereabouts. Dividing here into two branches, one line would go up Mott avenue to East One Hundred and Fifty-first street, through One Hundred and Fifty-first street and Gerard avenue to Jerome avenue and thence up Jerome avenue to Woodlawn Cemetery; the other line would pass east through One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street to the Southern boulevard, and up the Southern boulevard and Westchester avenue to Eastern boulevard.

From the post office, and possibly from the Battery, the subway would contain four tracks until it reached One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street. The easterly fork would contain at least three tracks and likewise the westerly fork as far as Jerome avenue where there would be four tracks again. This is considered wise because at some future time a subway will probably be built in Eighth avenue to connect with the line up Jerome avenue, and then four tracks will be needed to afford facilities to both lines. The whole line would be underground, except possibly the Southern boulevard and Westchester avenue section. Some money would be saved by building an elevated road on Jerome avenue instead of a subway, but in view of the many obvious objections to an elevated road, in view of the important character of this thoroughfare, and in view of the small saving in cost when the expense of constructing the whole line is considered, your committee recommend that a subway be planned throughout Jerome avenue,

The line thus planned could be connected with the New York Central Railroad at the Mott Haven station, at One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street and at Fortysecond street, and suburban trains could be run through to the Battery via Broadway a more direct route to downtown Manhattan than by the present subway. At this very moment, before the Grand Central station has been reconstructed and while the traffic is being so seriously interfered with by this reconstruction that the number of persons using the Grand Central station is very much less than it will be when the station has been rebuilt and the trains are again running upon schedule time, the present subway is congested by New York Central traffic. The proposed line would relieve this congestion and help handle the additional traffic that will come when the New York Central has completed its work of reconstruction and its lines have been electrified.

The proposed line will also run close to the Steinway tunnel at Forty-second street and the Blackwell's Island bridge at Fifty-ninth street, so that a connection may be made with the crosstown subway under Fifty-ninth street, planned by the Rapid Transit Commission. By either route the residents of Queens will be able to reach the lower portion of Manhattan much more expeditiously than at present.

The Broadway-Lexington avenue line, as proposed, is not a part of the "TriBorough route" as originally planned, but by means of the connection through Canal street, discussed later in this report, it has every advantage which the Manhattan portion of the "Tri-Borough route" possesses and certain other advantages. which the latter does not have, inasmuch as the Manhattan portion of the "TriBorough route" would not tap the Broadway section, between the post-office and Tenth street. It is also possible to make a similar connection with the Williamsburg bridge, and any subway extended by this route into Long Island. At the Battery it could likewise be connected with the present tunnel to Brooklyn or any future subway built cast or west of Broadway.

Thus, while the proposed line is to be constructed in Manhattan and the Bronx, it will afford great relief to Brooklyn and Queens.

The value of the Broadway Lexington avenue route both from the transit and from the financial standpoint is apparent. Below Fourteenth street, it would run through the very heart of the commercial and office centres of the city. It would

also tap the populous district between Forty-second street and the Harlem river, the residents of which at present can reach the lower Broadway district only by a circuitous route. The two branches in the Bronx would tap the sections which are most in need of transit facilities. The Jerome avenue line has been urged for years. The Southern boulevard section would run through a district already well populated and the Westchester avenue section would open up an area which has not developed owing to the lack of transit facilities. Further, the present subway carries the Bronxites by a very devious course from their homes to their offices. The BroadwayLexington avenue route would shorten the trip very materially. Further, the directness of the line and the few curves (Lexington avenue is almost upon an exact line with Broadway) would safely allow cars to be run at high speed and would lower operating costs.

Inasmuch as more of The Bronx lies east than west of a line continued in a straight line upon the axis of Lexington avenue, the most natural connection of Jerome avenue would be with a future line down Eighth avenue, or a line between Eighth avenue and Lexington avenue, for it is probable that every subway built upon Lexington avenue or east of Lexington avenue will be needed for the portion of The Bronx east of Jerome avenue. But if the Commission were to build the Jerome avenue line and to lease it to the company operating the Broadway-Lexington avenue line under such conditions that it might allow a separate company operating the Eighth avenue to have running powers over the Jerome avenue section, the present connection of this section with Lexington avenue would not interfere with the ultimate normal development.

Attention should be called to the fact that the Broadway-Lexington line as above outlined, it not precisely the same as the Lexington avenue route proposed by the Rapid Transit Commission. The Lexington route, as originally planned, was not sufficiently direct and contained so many curves that the speed of the trains would be interfered with. It was also planned to connect the Lexington avenue line with the present subway at Forty-second street. This is considered objectionable for two reasons; the present subway has all the traffic it can possibly handle with decency, and perhaps more. To add to its burdens by feeding another line into it would be exceedingly unwise. Further, if such a connection were made, any competitor of the Interborough Company would be at a decided disadvantage when bidding for the operating lease. Upon the other hand, the subway as now proposed will not interfere with any longitudinal routes which may be built later. For example, a line connecting with the present subway at Forty-second street and Broadway could be brought downtown via Broadway to Union square, thence down University place, Wooster street and Church street to the Battery.

The estimated cost of the Broadway-Lexington line, including the two branches in The Bronx, would be about $60,000,000, and with the present traffic conditions in mind, work ought to be begun immediately upon every section. However, if for financial or other reasons it should be found desirable to delay the awarding of the contracts on construction of certain portions of the route until another year, it would be possible at once to begin on the section from the Battery to the Grand Central Station. Within another year the contracts for the section from Fortysecond street to One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street could be let, to be followed with the Gerard and Jerome avenue section. By the time the portion from the Battery to Forty-second street would be ready for lease to an operating company the other sections of the route would be under contract, so that even though they were not completed the bidders for a franchise to operate would know when they were to be finished, and a lease could be made for the unfinished as well as the finished portions of the line. Further, if the construction of the entire line were approved by this Commission and by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, it would be possible to advertise a lease of this route at the same time the lease for the Fourth avenue subway is advertised. Thus any prospective bidder could obtain not only a lease of the Fourth avenue subway in Brooklyn, but also of the very remunerative line up Broadway and Lexington avenue. Owing to the possibility of a physical connection through Canal street these two lines could be run as one system, making the proposition, from a financial point of view, very attractive and remunerative.

Your committee also recommend that plans be prepared at once for a two-track subway from the Manhattan bridge through Canal street to West street. According to