New-York Tribune from New York, New York • 51

MAGAZINE SECTION PART VI EIGHT PAGES MAGAZINE SECTION SUNDAY, AUGUST 6, 1922 EIGHT PAGES PART VI YORK SAFE By BOYDEN SPARKES Illustrations by ALBERT LEVERING i liv beginning of the elevated railway system; Sixth Avenue in the early eighties The final chapter; trains under ground, elevated structure for automobiles THE next generation is likely to see, preserved in alcohol and exposed to publie; view in a niche in the American Museum of Natural History, an ex? hibit labeled "The Last Pedestrian on Manhat? tan." A year-round open season on pedes? trians is rapidly accomplishing for the species what unrestricted slaughter did for the buffalo the passenger pigeon. So it is now suggested that an opportunity soon will await some patron of science to buy give to the curator of vertebrate paleon? tology at the museum the particular automo? bile that slays the last pedestrian, so that it be exhibited with him. Several scheir.es have been evolved in recent Tsars to solve New York's street traffic prob? lem? A few have even treated the problem of making the town safe for pedestrians. One roch idea la a plan to run the present elevated train service underground and use the stilted as elevated motor highways. Then there vas Mayor Gaynor's proposal.

He want? ed to increase the north and south highways through Manhattan by slashing a new avenue Irom one end of the island to the other be Fifth and Sixth avenues. He died be Hering that eooncr or later the city would be forced to do just that. But Mayor Gaynor not 8n and not all of the tabula engineers could muster ever served to him that the cost of the real estate ha? to be acquired made his prohibitive. Though this proposed had to be rejected, the problem re mams. Each day the number of automobile owners 1 New York is increased by scores.

The fig? les may r.ot mean much, but throughout the My new owners of cars in a long column of I move steadily into the offices of the State I Vehida Bureau in 127 West Sixty-fifth just off Broadway. Each one who re 'VBS a license to drive in New York inten r8 the street traffic problem. Not only every car owner who drives on the American continent cherishes a feeling driving experience will not be com traffic education unfinished, until he a New York traffic policeman. If Ss conveyors in the factories of Henry tons of nuts, bolts, screws and a complete car every three minutes Uno 8uffic'ent to stump the traffic engineers aje studying New York's big problem, why is the threat of a new flood of $300 urvers intended to compete with the prod the Ford factories, Reached in Traffic by Police wko wa? for many years engineer of the Board of Estimate of New York City, and by the Russell Sage to study New York's engineering believes that the creation of a mar or waterfront boulevard to en circle Manhattan will lighten the traffic load. "It would seem as though traffic regulation by the police," said Mr.

Lewis recently, "has accomplished about as much as can be expected, and that increased traffic capacity, additional traffic routes and by-passes aro.und important centers are some of the next steps which must be taken. One of the obvious betterments would be the separation, so far as possible, of local and through traffic. "For instance, much of the motor traffic which congests Fifth Avenue and other north and south thoroughfares in Manhattan is bound for Westchester County, New England and northern New Jersey, and it is very anx? ious to get through and out of the city as soon as possible. Through and local traffic cannot be segregated on the thoroughfare by police regulation, but if separate provision be made for this through traffic it would un? doubtedly be availed of the great relief of both through and local traffic. "It has frequently been suggested that new north and south streets should be cut through between the avenues in the Borough of Man? hattan, but the expense of doing so is prac? tically prohibitive.

It has also been suggested that these avenues would have to be made two story streets; that is, where there are no ele? vated railroads this could be done by building elevated viaducts for fast moving vehicles, while on those streets where there are ele? vated railroads the latter should be put in subways and viaducts, for street traffic could take their places. Marginal Viaduct Proposed For West Street "There is, however, the possibility of a less expensive measure of relief which could be carried out with reasonable promptness. Along the westerly water front of Manhattan such an elevated viaduct could be built without in? curring any damage for obstruction to light and air and without any interference with the present use of the surface. West Street itself, which is the strip about fifty feet wide adjoin? ing the westerly building line, should be avoid? ed, so that there would be no damage to the abutting property, but on the marginal way, or 'the afc it is frequently called, such a viaduct could readily be built with ramps at certain points by which it could be reached from the street surface. These could be locat? ed at Battery Park, opposite the approaches to the East River bridges and at a few other points, but it would be desirable to have them one mile, at least half a mile, apart.

Where such ramps could not be constructed without the acquisition of valuable property or undue interference with street traffic elevators to ac? commodate four or six motor cars could be in? stalled and operated without great expense. Such a viaduct carried across the Sixtieth Street yard of the New York Central Rail? road could connect directly with the southerly end of Riverside Drive at Seventy-second Street, and the capacity of this drive could ultimately be enlarged by building another ad? ditional roadway nearer the water front. Along the easterly side of the Borough of Man? hattan the marginal street is not continuous, but it could and doubtless will be made so at an expense which would be almost trifling in comparison with the suggested cutting through of any new north and south street between the avenues. "Crossing the Harlem River, this East Side roadway would be continued through th? Bronx as far as Pelham Bay Park and through that to the present New York City lino and through New Rochelle to connect with the Boston Post Road. Such driveways along the easterly and westerly sides of Manhattan's water front, with its fascinating picture of the life of the harbor (that on the East Sido passing under the great East River would be among the most notable drives of the world, and their construction is the next ob? vious step to relieve traffic congestion and the overburdened north and south streets of Man? hattan." Engineering magic has been employed in recent years in New York to wipe out a traffic obstruction by completing Seventh Avenue, thereby changing Greenwich Village from a residential backwater into a thriving link in the direct highway connecting down? town Manhattan with the Broadway and Forty-second Street region.

It was done again with the building of the Park Avenue viaduct that lifts north and south motor traffic into the air and out of the congestion of the Grand Central Terminal region. The Borough President of Manhattan, Julius Miller, is charged with the duty of pro? viding physical remedies for traffic conges? tion in the accordingly, in Mr. Miller's office now there is ripening a project for repeating on the East Side the valuable. work that was done in cutting Seventh Ave? nue through the Village. The East Side route would give a direct avenue from the toe of Manhattan into the Bronx by opening up First Avenue from its "dead end" at Houston Street.

Thus a vast amount of traffic could be routed up the East Side and across the Willis Avenue bridge into the Bronx. It ia the firmly held belief of Amos Schaef fer, consulting engineer in the of the Borough President, that there are many street traffic obstructions in New York that can and should be removed before the city comes to a final consideration of what Mr. Schaeffer calls heroic methods, under which heading- he classi? fies the scheme of the late Mayor Gaynor of creating a new north and south avenue. "I figured up roughly the cost of such a project once," said Mr. Schaeffer a few days ago with reference to the proposal cut? ting a street parallel to and between Fifth and Sixth avenues.

"It would cost about one and one-half billions of dollars, a sum greater than the total bonded indebtedness of the city. It is an impossible thing. Traffic May Force Remaking Of Sixth Avenue "Long ago I suggested that the Sixth Ave? nue elevated trains be put into a Sixth Ave? nue subway. The elevated roadway could then be widened to the facades of the build? ings, thus giving these places a store frontage on this viaduct which then could be used for speedy motor traffic. In the space beneath what is now the street surface could then be utilized for heavy trucking, and goods loaded and unloaded from what are now the first floors of Sixth Avenue buildings.

"The city might build ramps every six or ten blocks for the use of vehicles to mount or dismount from the structure. This viaduct, instead of stopping short of Fifty-ninth Street, could cross and lower its traffic load right into Central Park to dissipate itself. "The big cost of such a scheme would be in building -the subway. Remodeling the elevated structure for the use of light motor vehicles would not be costly. It is stronger now than it would need to be for automobiles.

The prop? erty owners would be benefited, too. Instead of a darkened first floor their second floor would become as bright as a first-floor front on Fifth Avenue, and equally convenient. Be? sides, what is now the first floor would be a freight-receiving section vastly more conven? ient than the present system of elevators in the sidewalks. Doubled-Decked Streets May Be Common "Double-decking the streets ha3 been consid? ered by the of the city for many years. It is a problem they have felt they would have to face sometime.

It has been done in places, notably in Park Avenue, at Grand Central Terminal. At present this viaduct swings around the westerly side of Grand Central into Vanderbilt Avenue. On the east side of the terminal is Depew Place, a passageway or street on property that is owned by the New York Central and used for mail and baggage delivery. "The borough is now conducting negotia? tions to get an easement for public traffic through Depew Place. When this is accom? the New York Central is friendly to the Avenue viaduct will split in front of the station and swing around on two sides to meet again in the rear.

But, in? stead of lowering this stream of traffic into Forty-fifth Street, overburdened because Forty-fourth Street is dead-ended there by th. station, we will lift it across and lower it into Forty-sixth Street to pursue its course Park Avenue. The easterly viaduct around Grand Central Terminal will be as high as the third story of the surrounding buildings, and the mail and baggage trucks will continue un? disturbed in the use of the second floor level On the westerly side the viaduct also will be launched over Forty-fifth Street, being made to climb at about Forty-fourth Street. When this is accomplished Park Avenue will carry its full share of north and south traffic. "The greatest congestion is in the central part of the island.

Traffic counts have shown that the peak of the load is in Fifth Avenue and that the burden then slopes off to the rivers. I maintain that if there were good facilities nearer the water front traffic would use them. That is why what has been done with Seventh Avenue should be repeated in First Avenue. "The dead end is at Houston Street. From Houston Street a wide traffic artery should be cut through the most congested part of the East might be ripped right through City Hall.

Now practically all of First Avenue is covered with granite pav? ing blocks. These, of course, should be re? placed with asphalt. My own feeling is that when completed First Avenue should go under Manhattan Bridge and out through Chatham Square. This route goes across Willis Avenue Bridge into Willis Avenue. An immense load of Bronx and Westchester County traffic could be cared for by First Avenue.

"There is really a vast amount that may be done before extreme measures are necessary. The West Side marginal viaduct, connecting Riverside Drive with the Battery, 13 another plan thai would cost but a small fraction of what it would take to create a new north and south avenue. A subway along the North River water front is next to impossible, be? cause it would have to be built in the face of tremendously expensive engineering handicaps. A subway there would be below the level of the water, and would have to be dug with almost the same difficulties that confront those who tunnel the river. "Eventually all of the subways possible will have been built in Manhattan, and such an out? look forces consideration of conservation of existing facilities for the relief of traffic con? gestion.

"Congestion of traffic exists now in spots and not throughout the city or a borough, nor even through any considerable portion of the Boi'ough of Manhattan. Tf the city will exercise to the fullest extent the police power conferred upon it in the zoning law in con? junction with the planning of future transpor? tation facilities it is doubtful if it will ever be necessary to duplicate north and south thor? oughfares by laying out new avenues between those which we now have." Mr. Schaeffer walked to the window of his office, on the twenty-first floor of the Mu? nicipal Building, commanding a view of the Hudson and acres of flat-roofed buildings clustered, like hovels of old, about castles, at the bases of the Woolworth and Singer build? ings. "There are a few tall buildings rising here and there before us," he said, "but just im? agine all those three and four story buildings raised to the height of the Woolworth Build? ing. Picture the congestion we would have then in lower Manhattan.

Certain business and manufacturing must be directed to other parts of the city. Zoning System for City Vital Factor in Future the zoning resolution was adopted by the Board of Estimate, in 1916, there was nothing to prevent the erection of a building to almost any height and the use of it for al? most any purpose. The result has been a promiscuous use of buildings for manufactur? ing, business and residence purposes. "The time is rapidly approaching when there will be no more thoroughfares in lower Manhattan in which subways may be con? structed. There is a limit to subway con? struction in the lower of the island.

But the limit in density of factory and business population will not be reached for marty years. In other words, the potentiality for increase of the day popuiation in lower Manhattan is much greater than the possibility for increas? ing rapid transit facilities or street traffic. "Some business and manufacturing cer? tainly, then, must be directed to other parts of the city. Even double-decked streets cannot solve problems of traffic congestion unless zon? ing is resorted to. "There is another means of conservation to which the city may turn for a measure of re? lief from some of its traffic congestion.

That is by ending all encroachments on sidewalks and widening the streets." The vast majority of the stoops or porches on New York houses are built on city-owned property. Row after row of brownstone houses on the East and West sides of Manhattan pro? ject boldly on an average of fifteen feet on to city property. In recent times the borough ha? ordered these illegal projections to be sheared off, the courts have sustained them so stanch.y that this squatter land has been reclaimed in the cross streets from Thirty-second Street to Forty-sixth. As fast as the property owners comply the curb lines are being moved back a corresponding distance and the streets widened accordingly. Fifty-ninth Street ha3 been widened and Fifty-seventh Street is to bfl widened this summer.

On Fifth Avenue, before the roadway was widened from forty to fifty-five feet in 19il-'12, the sidewalks were thirty feet wide; but brown stone copings made private yards of half this area. When all this land ha. been reclaimed by a city desperate frr space for wheels to turn in much will have been done to lessen traffic congestion, in the opinion of Engineer Schaeffer. i Private Use of Public Street, Thafs What Parking is The parking of automobiles is a private usf. of public highways, in the opinion of Mr.

Schaeffer. and he beiieves that eventually the practice will be almost completely abolished. Even subway kiosks rising from the sidewalks are jealously regarded by the Borough Presi? dent's office. No engineer who gives tion to New York's street traffic problems can keep his mind from dwelling on that intersec? tion at Fifth Avenue and Forty-second Street that carries the peak of the load. The speed of traffic for a considerable time to the north and south of Forty-second Street is deter? mined by the speed at which it can cross Forty second Street.

A form of double-decking is the most promising scheme for relief there. "The plan," according to Mr. Schaeffer, "is to depress Forty-second Street and, perhaps, slightly elevate Fifth Avenue. Sufficient width of the roadway would be depressed in the center of Forty-second Street immediate? ly after crossing Madison Avenue, to provide for getting the surface cars underground in as short a time as possible, and immediately after they have entered the portal to spread the tracks to provide room in the center of the street to also depress a roadway to per? mit vehicles to cross under Fifth Avenue. The exits on the west side would be similar to the entrances on the east side.

This ar? rangement will give independent roadways for both the surface cars and vehicles. "Underground sidewalks should be provid? ed at least on the northerly side extending from the Grand Central Station to some point west of Fifth Avenue, so that pedestrian using the Grand Central station or the sub? way may use this sidewalk and avoid the Fifth Avenue crossing at the surface. "There is now a mezzanine platform in th? Grand Central subway station extending to the building on the northwest corner of Van derbilt Avenue. This can be extended in the local subway track to the west side of Madi? son Avenue without interfering with the oper? ation of trains. From this point it can be ex? tended westwardly outside of the subway as far as is desired, but at least west of Fifth Avenue immediately adjacent to the building line, so as to permit show window display Eventually such a sidewalk or sidewalks coulc be extended to the subway station at Time? Square." And there, probably, is the spot where last pedestrian will make his last stand..