N ; 3fl GIFT OF REPORT on Passenger Subway and Elevated Railroad Development in Chicago Prepared for the Committee on Traffic and Transportation of the City Club of Chicago by CHARLES K. MOHLER Consulting Engineer Published by the CITY CLUB OF CHICAGO 315 Plymouth Court April, 1912 REPORT on Passenger Subway and Elevated Railroad Development in Chicago Prepared for the Committee on Traffic and Transportation of the City Club of Chicago by CHARLES K. MOHLER Consulting Engineer Published by the CITY CLUB OF CHICAGO 315 Plymouth Court April, 1912 S&r* May 11, 1912. To the Committee on Local Transportation of the City Council of Chicago. GENTLEMEN: The City Club Committee on Traffic and Transportation, with the approval of the Directors, begs to hand you herewith a report prepared by Mr. Charles K. Mohler, con- sulting engineer and member of the committee, recommending the development in Chicago of certain elevated railway and subway facilities. While the committee has not endeavored to pass final judgment upon these recommendations, the report is believed to be a valuable and timely contribution upon a subject of great public importance, and its conclusions, together with the grounds upon which they are urged, are regarded as worthy of careful consideration by your committee. If your committee should wish to have Mr. Mohler appear before your body to discuss the recommendations in the report, he will be ready to do so. Respectfully submitted, CITY CLUB COMMITTEE ON TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION. By Samuel Dauchy, Chairman. Approved by the Directors of the City Club of Chicago. By George E. Hooker, Civic Secretary. 32884*) CHICAGO, ILL., October 8, 1911. To the Committee on Traffic and Transportation of the City Club of Chicago. GENTLEMEN : In accordance with the request of the Com- mittee some months since, I attended the various hearings on the question of subways held before the Committee on Local Trans- portation of the City Council during the spring and summer. Of the various projects presented there were none which seemed to the writer to embody all of the necessary and desirable features of a subway system in itself. Several of the projects presented had exceptionally good features, while others had very few features of real merit. After hearing the different projects pre- sented and discussed, and having given the subject some con- sideration, I beg to submit the following as a preliminary outline report on the situation. Engineer. CONDITION AND POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS OF PRESENT LOCAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION. The need for added and improved transportation facilities to relieve congestion in the present business district of Chicago, and to provide for adequate enlargement and future growth, has become acute for both the surface street car lines and the rapid transit or elevated lines. As each kind of traffic has distinctive features and needs, the situation will be considered under Sur- face Lines and Elez'dted Lines. SURFACE LINES. Present Conditions In talking with a representative of the Chicago Railways Company some time since, I was told that this company is op- erating practically all the cars in the loop district during the rush hours that it is possible for them to handle. Without going into an exhaustive study it may be remarked that the lines of greatest congestion at the present time are the lines operating on Wabash Avenue, State Street and Clark Street, in north and south direc- tions ; to the northwest the lines operating over Milwaukee Ave- nue produce very great congestion on this thorougM are ; of those to the west the Madison Street line carries a very heavy traffic. The greatest delay in the operation of surface cars in the loop district is caused by cars crossing each other's lines, making loop turns and crossing their own lines. Immediate Relief May Be Had in Part. If the most effective possible through-routing were estab- lished for the surface lines, as well as looping those cars which cannot through-route, so as to make two of their turns and cross their own traffic outside of the congested business center, it would be possible to put almost, if not quite, double the number of cars through the business district that are now operated. To illustrate, on Wabash Avenue and State Street, the cars of the Chicago City Railway turn back at the north end of the loop district. This 6 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED /?. R. DEVELOPMENT. means that the cars turning back are running half of their trip through the business district empty or on dead mileage. In other words, if cars were run straight through without turning back, the same occupancy by cars on the trackage inside of the business district during the rush hours would furnish facilities for taking out or delivering double the number of passengers now carried in a given time. To illustrate the suggestions for a line looping with two turns and crossing its own traffic outside the present congested center : The Madison cars run east to *Franklin, turn north on *Frarik- lin to Washington, east on Washington to State, south on State to Madison, and west on Madison to their terminus. The Mil- waukee Avenue cars turn east on Washington from Desplaines Street, and continue to State Street, south on State Street to Madison, on Madison to * Franklin, north on *Franklin to Wash- ington, and west on Washington to Desplaines, and turn north on Desplaines. The delay occasioned by looping and crossing their own traffic and entering and leaving the same junctions on * Franklin Street all occurs now in the congested business district. If the inbound Madison Street cars were turned north at Clinton Street to reach Washington, and the outbound Milwaukee Avenue cars continued west on Madison Street to Desplaines to turn north and complete their loops, one leg of the loop trip and the turns and crossings now made on *Franklin would be transferred to Clinton and Desplaines streets on little used tracks outside of the congested district. Two of the turns west bound now made by the Milwaukee line would be eliminated entirely. Many other like advantageous routings could be worked out and put into effect. ELEVATED LINES. Present Conditions. In some respects the rapid transit situation, as exemplified in the elevated lines, is even worse on the score of congestion and delay than the surface lines. With the great number of trains brought in from the various roads to be passed through the busi- ness district during the rush hours, the congestion has become La Salle is now used Instead of Franklin. ADDITIONAL FACILITIES. 7 so great that the trackage is totally inadequate to handle them by the present method of loop operation. The delays that are felt most by the patrons of the roads are those occurring in the morning in approaching and gaining entrance to the loop tracks. By far the greatest single item of delay to the operation of trains around the loop is that caused by the grade crossing junc- tions. About eighty-five trains per hour, passing on and off the inner track, have to pass about sixty-five trains operating on the outer track. One line of trains on the outer loop track inbound cross the other line outbound at grade. There is, in addition, the delay caused at the switch junctions in setting the switches and signals and dispatching the trains to and from their re- spective lines. Available Means for Improvement. From an operating standpoint, the elevated situation is more encouraging than the surface lines for obtaining increased ca- pacity and relieving delay and congestion. If the most effective through-routing were put in operation it would be possible to pass through the business district about two hundred per cent more cars than are now operated in an hour during the rush hours. For instance, instead of a possible maxi- mum of about 735 cars per hour, it should be possible to put through a maximum of about 2,200 cars per hour. With through- routing the junction interference can be very largely reduced. The time now taken to run dead mileage for half the loop trip (nearly eight minutes on an average) would be devoted to carrying traffic. From the above brief statements it will be seen that we have fallen far short of making the best possible use of the trackage facilities we already possess for handling both surface and rapid transit traffic. DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL FACILITIES. A. SUBWAYS. B.-ELEVATED RAILROADS. The traffic demands of the city are growing at such a rate that added facilities must be provided not only for the surface 8 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. lines, but for the rapid transit as well. The conditions will prob- ably be such that as soon as a new facility is put in operation it will have been outgrown by new demands. General Principles. As a general proposition, with some exceptions, in providing new or added transportation facilities to relieve operating conges- tion, they should be provided as nearly as may be on the old established routes of travel. The question should be considered as to whether the pro- posed facilities will actually relieve congestion, or whether they will ultimately, if not immediately, lead to still greater conges- tion. Other things being equal, the routes selected should be those which can be constructed at the least expense, relieve congestion, follow the most direct lines with the least turns and curvature, eliminate the greatest number of grade crossing interference, and offer facilities for enlarging rather than restricting the de- livery territory. Danger oi Increasing Congestion Some of the plans presented at the hearings are open to the objection that they would tend to still further increase the con- gestion rather than to relieve it, as a result of the centering of the main arteries largely at one particular terminal, or on some particular street. A. SUBWAYS State St. and Wabash Ave. Not Most Desirable There seems to be considerable sentiment, without any ap- parent good reason, for the construction of the first subway on State Street. In my judgment, the construction of subways for either surface or rapid transit lines, first on either State Street or Wabash Avenue, would be injudicious, for the following reasons : 1. On neither of these streets are there any grade crossings of surface lines. "SURFACE CAR" SUBWAY ROUTES. 9 2. The east and west team traffic crossing these streets is much less than on the streets farther west. 3. Each of these streets is 100 feet in width (State Street is 120 feet north of Madison to the river), and are better able to take care of the street car and team traffic on their surface with- out congestion than are the streets farther west, which are only 80 feet in width. 4. Wabash Avenue is already provided with elevated rapid transit. 5. State Street is already the center of congestion. Addi- tions to transportation facilities should be made such that people will be led away from rather than brought to this already crowded center. With the above facts in view, it is believed that the routes described below are the most necessary or desirable on which to begin the first subway construction (see Plate 1). The subject of routing will be considered under "Surface Car" Subways (to relieve congestion) ; Rapid Transit Subways. "SURFACE CAR" SUBWAYS. Service to the West Side (Including Northwest and Southwest.) To accommodate the surface car traffic to the Northwest, West and Southwest sides of the city it is believed that the con- struction of the first subway would best be about as follows : LAKE STREET GRANT PARK HARRISON STREET. Beginning on Lake Street, west of Halsted Street, and building eastward in the north half of Lake Street to the proposed widened Michigan Avenue, thence turning south and into Grant Park and continuing south in Grant Park as far as Harrison Street, and turning west on Harrison Street to a junction with the Blue Island Avenue line just west of Halsted Street. Also a branch in the north half of Milwaukee Avenue, from a point west of Halsted Street to a junction with the Lake Street subway. 10 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. Advantages and Reasons for Selecting. These routes are suggested for the following reasons : 1. Any north and south subways which may be con- structed will be on a low level, on reaching Lake Street, on ac- count of the deep river crossing, so that the subway on this street would naturally be on a high level and not interfere with any other construction crossing this route, or require one subway at low level for the sole purpose of crossing under, as would be the case on any street farther south. 2. It will eliminate all of the grade crossings of the present north and south surface lines crossing Lake Street. 3. The cost in money and the time taken to construct through Grant Park will be the least possible (probably about one-fifth of that for street subway) of any north and south con- necting route that can be selected. 4. In constructing on Harrison Street west to Blue Island Avenue, the same facts as mentioned for Lake Street are true, with the exception of the crossings of future north and south subways. The construction on Harrison Street should prefer- ably be a low level subway, with the north and south subways crossing over it by high levels on account of the proposed portals a short distance faither south. 5. Lake Street being near the north, Grant Park at the east and Harrison Street toward the south limit of the present business district, traffic would be led away from the center of sidewalk congestion, now located approximately at State and Madison streets, and give stations at a number of divergent points for receiving and discharging passengers, rather than a few at the already congested centers. The subway will connect with both diagonal and direct thoroughfares at each end (Mil- waukee and Blue Island avenues diagonal and Lake and Harri- son streets due west). It will thus give the shortest and quick- est line of communication from the downtown district to the Northwest, West and Southwest portions of the city, without crossing interferences and delays in the business district. 6. As a new bridge will have to be constructed on Lake "SURFACE CAR" SUBWAY ROUTES. 11 Street, the new abutments can be designed to take care of the tunnel crossing much better than can be done under a bridge already constructed. 7. Milwaukee Avenue is one of the worst congested streets and should be afforded relief. 8. The movement of vehicles on Lake Street is impeded and car traffic interfered with on account of the elevated columns standing in the narrow roadway, requiring moving teams to turn onto the car tracks to pass standing vehicles and is a very serious factor in causing delay to the surface cars now operating over it. Method of Operation. The method of operation would be for the cars coming in on Milwaukee Avenue to route through the subways out Blue Island Avenue and vice-versa. Operation over Lake and Har- rison would follow the same plan of coming in on one and going out on the other. CLARK STREET (SHORT TRIP), LAKE TO HARRISON STREET. In addition to the above, a double-track north and south subway on the west side of Clark Street might well be con- structed to connect with the Lake Street and Harrison Street subways, for the following reasons: 1. It would take care of a large volume of traffic originat- ing in the vicinity of Clark Street. 2. It would save occupancy of tracks and consequent dead mileage and congestion of cars operating in the Lake Street subway from Clark Street to Grant Park, in Grant Park from Lake Street to Harrison Street, and on Harrison Street from Grant Park to Clark Street. All traffic that made use of the Clark Street short line would relieve the above-mentioned por- tions of the subway passing through the business district to just about that degree. 3. It will give a point of contact for transfer to the north 12 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. and south lines using a subway in the east portion of the street (to be described later). 4. In relieving congestion and eliminating dead mileage by short tripping through this proposed subway, grade crossings are avoided on all lines crossed entering from the west side. Service to the North and South Sides. At present all of the surface line traffic from the business district to the south side has to pass out over three streets Wabash Avenue, State Street and Clark Street, with no expan- sion or divergence until Eighteenth Street is reached, over a mile outside the main district. These are already the most congested lines in the city. CLARK STREET (THROUGH). As before pointed out, the construction of a surface car subway north and south through the business district should have for one of its primary objects the elimination of the greatest possible number of surface line grade crossings. With the lim- ited investigation and study I have been able to give the matter, I am inclined to believe, that for the following reasons the con- struction of a double-track (four tracks from Lake Street to Harrison Street, with the through tracks on the east) subway on Clark Street beginning about Illinois Street on the north and ending at about Taylor Street on the south should be preferable to any other through or near the center of the business district : 1. Clark Street is continuous through the business dis- trict and carries on continuous lines outside the business district some of the heaviest traffic to the North and South sides. 2. Nearly all of the lines coming in from the West Side reach and cross this street either in through routing, looping or turning back, thereby causing one of the most serious factors in present congestion and delay in the business district. 3. While it passes through near the center of the busi- ness district between the lake and the river, it is not at present "SURFACE CAR" SUBWAY ROUTES. 13 a distinctively congested district, as far as sidewalk occupancy by pedestrians is concerned. MICHIGAN BLVD. EXTENSION GRANT PARK INDIANA AVE. In addition to the suggested facilities for Clark Street, there will be still others needed to relieve the growing congestion on State Street and Wabash Avenue. It is believed this can be well accomplished by the construction of a subway well to the east on about the following route: Beginning at some point north of Chicago Avenue, and construct along Pine Street or the pro- posed widening of Michigan Avenue, south under the Chicago River to Grant Park, thence turning easterly to near the east side of Grant Park, and continuing on that side of the park to the south end; thence under the Illinois Central station, and across Twelfth Street, to and along Indiana Avenue. The portal could be conveniently located south of Twelfth Street, and on the east side of *Indiana Avenue, the line changing over to the east side before coming to the surface. Thence, continue along the east line of Indiana Avenue, adjoining the right-of-way of the Illinois Central Railroad, to about Fifteenth Street, thence along the center of Indiana Avenue to Eighteenth Street, where the surface tracks would connect with the present tracks on In- diana Avenue. Reasons for Selection. The following are reasons for this proposed line: 1. The North Side is at present poorly served with trans- portation from the territory at the north part of the proposed location (Chicago Avenue and Pine street), to the present busi- ness district. 2. The construction could be carried out before the com- pletion of the proposed boulevard link construction on Pine Street and Michigan, north of Randolph, and at the least possible cost on that account. * Since the above, was written the proposition to widen Indiana Avenue to 130 feet has been advanced by the writer in connection with the con- troversy with the Illinois Central Railroad, involving the proposed lake front improvement. 14 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. 3. For the harbor and docks to be established north of the river, on the lake front, adequate surface transportation fa- cilities will be required. This route will be well adapted for that purpose. 4. The construction through Grant Park can be more cheaply and expeditiously accomplished than any other available route. 5. It is so located, that while serving it also leads traffic away from the already congested districts. 6. It will give several points of contact for transfer with the proposed routing for the West side to reach the Northwest, West and Southwest sides. 7. It will afford a much needed additional outlet to the South side to relieve the congestion on Wabash Avenue and State Street. 8. The stretch of surface lines on Indiana Avenue from Twelfth to Sixteenth Streets would be without street crossings, and could be operated at a higher efficiency than on Wabash and State. The line does not have to make any turns or cross other lines of traffic to reach Indiana Avenue. The above routes are the most direct, and embody the least number of angles and turns. With the grade crossings elimi- nated and the new routes established, very material relief from congestion would be had. RAPID TRANSIT LINES. Outside of the restricted business district, it may be said that with few exceptions the present elevated lines have ample capacity to carry much heavier traffic than they are handling to- day. Not taking into account the "loop" situation, all of the elevated roads, with the exception of the four-track Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway, are handicapped by having only double track structures for about three-quarters of a mile outside the loop. It is hardly necessary to say that for the most effi- cient service liberal trackage should be supplied to the congested delivery district. RAPID TRANSIT SUBWAY ROUTES. 15 By furnishing adequate trackage in and adjacent to the business district to connect with the three-track line of the South Side Elevated Railroad, and the four-track line of the North- western Elevated Railroad, and the operation of from eight to ten-car express trains, the capacity of these roads could possibly be increased anywhere from two to four hundred per cent, over the traffic they are handling at present. It is an almost universal complaint by the management of the elevated roads of Chicago that they are not paying investments. I believe that if adequate facilities were established for handling passengers in and adja- cent to the business district, that an enormously increased traffic would go to the elevated railroads. As the construction of addi- tional elevated lines in the business district is probably out of the question, the only avaliable means for increasing rapid transit facilities in this immediate district would seem to be the selection and construction of subways on the most feasible and practicable routes available. Subways to form connections with outlying elevated roads should give the most direct connections possible from the present routing in the downtown district, so as to de- range the present established routes of travel as little as possible when the elevated "loop" is supplanted by subway operation. The following routing is suggested : RAPID TRANSIT SUBWAYS. Service to the Went Side. LAKE STREET GRANT PARK VAN BUREN STREET. Construct a subway on Lake Street to connect with the Chi- cago and Oak Park Elevated Railroad, beginning as far east as moderate gradients will give the required depth for crossing un- der the Chicago River, continuing east to the proposed widened Michigan Boulevard, thence turning south to and through Grant Park, following parallel with and to the west of all other pro- posed north and south lines previously outlined, or to be men- tioned later, as far as Van Buren Street, turning west on Van Buren and constructing a subway along Van Buren Street to such point west of the river as may be reached with moderate 16 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. ascending grades for a connection to the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway. This routing is considered advisable for the following reasons (See Plate 1) : Advantages of Route. 1. It brings the Chicago and Oak Park Elevated Railroad directly in over its present route. It would also afford a routing for the Logan Square and Humboldt Park branches of the Met- ropolitan West Side Elevated Railway to save an enormous amount of dead mileage over their present routing out of and into the business district. This would not only be a great saving to the elevated railroad itself, but a great saving in time and a great convenience to the patrons of these lines. 2. It brings the rapid transit traffic of these lines within touch of the steamer docks extending along the river from Fifth Avenue east. 3. The same reasons given in discussing the surface line subway in Lake Street would apply in a large measure to the rapid transit subway in Lake Street. 4. As previously mentioned, the construction through Grant Park will be much less expensive in time and money, than thorugh any of the downtown streets. 5. There will be a tendency to relieve sidewalk congestion by taking traffic to stations at divergent points rather than bring- ing it to a more restricted center. 6. There is no special reason for recommending the con- struction in Van Buren rather than Jackson, except that it would follow the present established route of travel furnished by the elevated structure and would not restrict the delivery district to the extent that it would be if constructed on Jackson. Of course, the difficulties of constructing under the elevated struct- ures would be greater than under a street not so occupied. Without having considered the matter further, there is no recommendation as to whether the construction on Van Buren Street should be of the high or low level throughout or with un- dulating grades to alternate high and low levels. RAPID TRANSIT SUBWAY ROUTES. 17 Four Tracks and Junctions Without Grade Crossings. The construction of a four-track subway on Lake Street, which is eighty feet wide, two tracks for surface cars and two for rapid transit, with five and six tracks at junction connections, will undoubtedly be attended with considerable difficulty and expense on account of approaching so near the building lines. By alternating the stations and using island platforms with the necessary cross-over footways, the width can be kept down to reasonable dimensions. FIFTH AVENUE (SHORT TRIP). A double track route should be built on the west half of Fifth Avenue from Van Buren to Lake Street. The main reasons for the construction of this line may be enumerated as follows: 1. With the constant growth of traffic in the business district and the removal of the elevated "loop" structure trackage will be needed to take care of traffic originating in this territory to be taken to the west and now accommodated by the "loop" tracks. 2. It will allow short tripping of trains at least during rush hours to save congestion and dead mileage resulting from all trains passing to the eastern portion of the business district. 3. It will give a point of contact for transfer to the through north and south route on the West Side of the business district. MILWAUKEE AVENUE, HALSTED TO LAKE STREET. To give a short and more direct route from the Northwest Side to the business district, rapid transit facilities should be provided on Milwaukee Avenue from Paulina to Lake streets. As a part of these added facilities it is believed a subway should be constructed to connect with the proposed subway on Lake Street. This subway to reach the surface and form a junction with the proposed elevated on or near Milwaukee Avenue, at about Halsted or Ohio Street. 18 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. Service to the North and South Sides. As stated in the outline for surface car subways, the South Side is in need of relief from the great congestion of the arteries of travel, while the district just north of the Chicago River, near the lake, is and has been for years badly in need of additional transportation facilities, and will be much more in need when the proposed harbor and docks are established in that vicinity. With these facts in view, I would suggest the following route for the first north and south rapid transit subway construction : PROPOSED WIDENED MICHIGAN BOULEVARD GRANT PARK INDIANA AVENUE. Beginning at Chicago Avenue ; thence south along the line of Pine Street, on the route of the proposed boulevard widening, across the river to Grant Park ; thence diverging to the east side of Grant Park, adjoining the Illinois Central Railroad right of way, and continuing to the south end of Grant Park, along the east line, then passing under the Illinois Central Railroad Station, and coming to the surface through a portal south of 12th Street on *Indiana Avenue adjoining the right of way of the Illinois Central Railroad. Thence continuing on an ascending grade to the level of an elevated structure to be built on the east side of Indiana Avenue adjoining the Illinois Central right of way, as far as a point between 15th and 16th streets, crossing over the St. Charles Air Line of the Illinois Central Railroad ; thence turning to the right and running west parallel to or possibly on a second story structure over the tracks of the St. Charles Air Line to a junction with the South Side Elevated Railroad lines just south of 16th Street. Advantages of Route. The reasons for this proposed route are as follows: 1. As previously stated, the Northwestern Elevated Rail- road is in great need of additional trackage for handling traffic *'See footnote, page 13. RAPID TRANSIT SUBWAY ROUTES. 19 south of its four-track line, two tracks of which terminate at Chicago Avenue. (The connecting route along Chicago avenue to be either a subway or an elevated line). 2. The construction on the proposed route of the boulevard widening along Pine Street can be accomplished when that improvement is made, together with the surface line subway requiring two walls for four or more tracks, at much less expense than if built on a street occupied and maintained for traffic. 3. The cost of construction through Grant Park will be the least of any subway route possible to select. Only one re- taining wall will be required for any number of tracks that may be constructed. The retaining wall along the I. C. R. R. can be taken out and only a roof required to carry a depth of soil sufficient to support the park vegetation. 4. It will bring this rapid transit line in contact with the rapid transit and surface line subways proposed for the West Side for easy interchange and transfer. 5. The proposed elevated portion, south of 12th Street, on Indiana Avenue and west along the route of the St. Charles Air Line to the junction of the "South Side," will cost only a fraction of the amount required for subway construction for the same distance in a street. There can be little objection to the construction of an elevated on this line as it is adjoining railroad property for the entire route and there is very little occupancy of importance on the west side facing Indiana Avenue for this distance. 6. It will afford much needed relief for the South Side Elevated Railroad line past the present greatly congested double- track line north of 12th Street, giving a junction with the three- track line at the point of connection. 7. The construction of thjis subway and the ^proposed elevated connections would not interfere in any way with any possible subway development in the future. 8. Direct rapid transit facilities will be given to and from the North and South Sides to the Illinois Central Railroad station. 20 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. CHICAGO AVENUE, KINGSBURY TO PINE STREET. Beginning at or near Larrabee Street, where connection could be made to a proposed line over or along the tracks of the C, M. & St. P. Ry. described later, a double track subway could be built east to connect with the proposed subway on the pro- posed widened Pine Street or Michigan Boulevard extension. An incline connection should be provided to the Northwestern Elevated at Chicago Avenue west of Franklin Street. There should be four tracks from Franklin Street to either State or Cass streets. While a cheaper connection could be made with the construction of an elevated, the extra cost of a subway will probably be justified in view of proposed dock construction and probable future business development in this section. FIFTH AVENUE FRANKLIN STREET KINZIE (THROUGH). With a portal somewhere near Polk Street a double track subway should be built on Fifth Avenue to a point near the river crossing where it could turn to take a northwesterly direction across the river to about Franklin and Kinzie streets, where it would continue along Franklin Street until it could be brought up on moderate grades to form a connection with the present elevated structure of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad on Franklin Street. At Kinzie and Franklin streets a branch should turn off to the west through Kinzie to Kingsbury Street, into which it would turn to the northwest and reach the level of the proposed elevated line (described later) over the right of way of the C., M. & St. P. Ry. With the south portal between Harrison and Polk streets (it might be located under the present Fifth Avenue-Polk Street incline) the line should continue on an ascending grade to the level of an elevated structure along Fifth Avenue to 12th Street, thence east on 12th Street to a connection with the South Side Elevated Railroad at 12th Street. A connection should be made by turning west on 12th Street to reach a line on Canal or Clinton streets (described later under Elevated Railroads). RAPID TRANSIT SUBWAY ROUTES. 21 Principle Advantages of Route. The following are reasons for constructing the proposed line : 1. It will form an important link for a through north and south route through this portion of the business district. 2. It will give another connection to the three-track portion of the South Side Elevated Railroad past their present congested double track stretch north of 12th Street. 3. With a connection on 12th Street to a proposed line farther west, an outlet will be had for rapid transit to the south- west and south. 4. A connection would be made to the Northwestern Ele- vated Railroad near the four-track portion without the draw- bridge crossing of the river, and it deflects from Fifth Avenue to Franklin Street on relatively easy curves, eliminating right angle turns. 5. When enough subways will have been built to take care of the traffic so that the "loop" structure can be removed, the line will take care of the traffic handled by that portion of the 'loop/ 1 6. Rapid transit service will be furnished the Grand Cen- tral or Harrison Street depot. 7. With the connections proposed a very flexible routing can be had through the business district to reach the north, south and southwest portions of the city. Trains will be able to reach Fifth Avenue from either the main line or the Kingsbury Street connection of the Northwestern Elevated to reach both the South Side Elevated connection at 12th Street and the proposed line out Canal or Clinton Street at 12th Street. As Fifth Avenue is about midway between Michigan Boulevard and Clinton Street, a division of through routing of that kind through the business district would seem to offer special advantages. WABASH AVENUE OR STATE STREET CHICAGO AVENUE. As the final step to provide for the removal of the present "loop" structure, a subway should be built on either Wabash Avenue or State Street, about as follows: 22 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. Beginning at about Harrison Street from an incline con- nection to the South Side Elevated Railroad, thence north through either Wabash Avenue and Cass Street or State Street to a connection with the proposed subway previously described on Chicago Avenue. By special six-track construction at Chicago Avenue and Cass or State Street for a junction with Chicago Avenue, all grade crossings can be eliminated and trains routed without interference for any desired movement. The proposed arrangement will give very flexible routing from the Michigan Boulevard Grant Park to either the North- western Elevated or the proposed line via the C, M. & St. P. Ry. Also from the Wabash Avenue or State Street line out the same routes. Also in the reverse order. See detail sketch (Fig. 3). TRACKAGE IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT. Needs lor a Large Amount. On account of the frequent and long station stops required and the incidental delays in handling traffic in a congested district, additional trackage should be provided so that the main stem of a transportation system connecting with the outlaying districts and branches can be brought up to somewhere near its maximum capacity. The congested territory requiring frequent and long stops is roughly embraced inside a radius of one mile with State and Madison streets as the center, reaching Chicago Avenue north, Halsted Street west, 12th Street south and the Lake east. Within a radius of four to five miles from the center, the traffic to reach downtown districts can very well be taken care of in the main by the surface lines. (Outside the one mile circle and included inside the four mile circle there are now 56 elevated stations). SUGGESTED MEANS OF SECURING ADDED TRACKAGE, To secure this added trackage in the congested district for both rapid transit and surface lines, it can probably best be had by the construction of four and three-track subways wherever pos- TRACKAGE IN BUSINESS DISTRICT. 23 sible in substantial accordance with the routes outlined above, for the following reasons: 1. If the present business district is enlarged and the whole is developed on the basis of twenty story buildings or higher, the demands for transportation facilities may become such as to require a four-track (or all that it is possible to build) in practi- cally all of the downtown streets in order to afford adequate trackage and loading and unloading facilities. 2. A four-track subway in every alternate street will afford about the same capacity as a two-track subway in every street with only one-quarter the number of low level crossings. 3. While the construction of a four-track subway will probably be attended with greater danger and damage to build- ings, there will be only one-half as many of them subject to dam- age, and one-quarter as many low level crossings. 4. Only one-half as many streets will have to be torn up with the destruction and required renewal of paving, underground construction, such as sewers, water and gas pipes, wire conduits, etc. 5. With double track construction, a heavy side wall will be required for each track, while with four-track construction only one wall will be required for two tracks. In fact, when the building foundations are properly taken care of there is perhaps little reason why the entire space between building lines cannot be excavated and the necessity for side walls entirely removed, at least for high level subways opposite the more recently con- structed buildings. As there would preferably be no station platform in the low level portion of subways, the width would be reduced to the least possible and the field of operation would be removed to some distance from building foundations in eighty- foot streets. 6. Only one-half the number of business places would be interfered with and suffer business loss and damage in securing a given track capacity with four-track subways in alternate streets as against only two tracks in each street occupied. 7. By building the suggested four-track subways at the highest possible level in every-other street for half their length, 24 SUB W AY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. the other half being made up of approaches to and from an under crossing with an intersecting subway, it would be possible to build subways in all intervening streets if developments proved them to be a necessity at any time in the future. In other words, build two blocks continuously at the same high level, and each incline approach one block long to cross under another subway. While that would require a larger proportion of the future sub- ways to be built at a lower level than those first constructed, still there would be this advantage, that many more of the buildings now on insecure, shallow foundations will be replaced with the deep foundation type. 8. The time required for construction to obtain a given track capacity should be much less if secured through four-track construction in alternate streets than it would be by the con- struction of two-track subways in every street. 9. Although as previously pointed out, the danger and damage to buildings would probably be greater with four than it would be with two-track construction, it is still believed for the reasons stated that the actual cost per mile of single track should be considerably less. It may be that in many cases where the excavations are to be carried past old buildings, that would be in danger on account of their insecure foundations, arrangements could be made with the owners to put in permanent deep foundations which would serve for the heavier new buildings which are almost certain to be constructed in time. JUNCTIONS WITHOUT GRADE CROSSINGS. In arranging the junctions between two four-track lines such as Lake Street and Milwaukee Avenue (Fig. 1) and between a two-track to a four-track such as Lake Street and Fifth Avenue, Lake and Clark streets (Fig. 2) and Chicago Avenue and State or Cass Streets (Fig. 3) to avoid grade crossings will require some difficult and expensive work. On Lake Street east of the junction at Milwaukee Avenue JUNCTIONS WITHOUT GRADE CROSSINGS. TURNOUT JUNCTION Of TWO DOUBLE TRACK LINES (4 TRACKS) WITHOUT GRADE CROSSINGS. SKETCHED BY CHARLLS K. MOHLtR. CHICAGO, ILL. JAN /3/t. FIG. 1. FOUR-TRACK TURNOUT JUNCTION. * TRACKS AT HI6H, Z AT LOW AND LOW LEVEL DOUBLE TRACK JUNCTION WITHOUT CROS5IN6 INTERFERENCES. SKETCHED BY CHARLES K. MOHLEJ?, LN6INECR u^m. FIG. 2. 3X>UBLE-TRACK TURNOUT FROM AND CROSSING UNDER FOUR-TRACK LINE. FUNCTION, WITHOUT GRADE. CR03SIN6S, fOff UN I VERSA ROUTING* Of TWO DOUBLE TRA&f UNC3 M&tolNG 4NTO A FOUR TRACK ROUTE. SKTCHD 0y CMAftLES K. MOHLZR. cm*. NOU I3tl. FIG. 3. MERGING OF TWO DOUBLE TRACK LINES INTO FOUR TRACKS. 26 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. (Fig. 1), the outside tracks are spread to allow two junction tracks to branch off from the center tracks and change grade from the main tracks. On reaching Milwaukee Avenue the three north main tracks on Lake Street are at such an elevation that they can cross under the three west tracks turning in from Mil- waukee Avenue at high level. The low level track on the north side of Lake Street and Milwaukee Avenue form a natural switch junction without any crossing. The south track on Lake Street is kept at the high level to form a junction with the high level track on the south side of Milwaukee Avenue and which crosses at the same level as the center tracks of Milwaukee Ave- nue over the three low level tracks on Lake Street. It is believed the sketches (Figs. 2 and 3), will show the other arrangements for the junction connections at Lake and Clark Streets, and Chicago Avenue and either Cass or State Streets, clearly enough without a detailed description. SUBWAY LEVELS AND GRADES. On account of the soft, putty-like material underlying the streets of Chicago, it is desirable if not essential, that the depths of subways should be kept at the highest possible level. It is believed that the requirement for keeping them at the least pos- sible depth can be accomplished best by alternating the crossings, so that instead of maintaining a constant low level for either the east and west or north and south lines, either system will be at high or low level at any particular intersection to best suit the conditions to be met. Very material added advantages which might be derived from undulating grades would be that on approaching a high level station, the up-grade would assist in bringing the train to a quick stop. On the other hand, the down grade on leaving the station would be a very decided aid in accelerating the cars or trains and gaining in operating speed and efficiency. If all stations were made at the high level, they would be more accessible than low level stations. SUBWAY CONSTRUCTION. 27 METHODS OF CONSTRUCTING SUBWAYS. Relative Damage and Cost. As far as I was able to learn at the meetings and hearings, or from published reports, the methods of construction which were to be employed did not seem to be clearly defined ; whether they proposed to carry on the construction in open cut, or under cover maintaining the street surface open for traffic without in- terruption. As a matter of fact, these features are of the greatest importance from the standpoint of the business interests and prop- erty owners along the line on which the construction is to be car- ried on. The probabilities are, if the work is done in open cut, that the entire street will be practically closed to traffic from curb to curb for a period of time not much less than two years and possi- bly greater. If the construction is carried on under cover and the surface of the street maintained for traffic the cost will probably be twice and possibly three times what it will be if done in open cut. FUTURE SUBWAY CONSTRUCTION. For "Surface Cars." It is believed that, after the construction of the lines on Lake Street and on Harrison Street, the natural requirements should call for the construction on the east and west streets south of Madison before those to the north. The reasons for such re- quirement would be as follows : 1. The streets south of Madison are only 66 feet wide, while Madison and the streets north of that are 80 feet in width. The 66- foot streets have such a narrow roadway that with vehicles standing at the curb a moving vehicle has not sufficient room to pass between a standing vehicle and a car on the adjoining track. The roadway on an 80-foot street is sufficiently wide to allow a moving vehicle to pass between a street car and a vehicle stand- ing at the curb, giving nearly twice the capacity for vehicle and street car movement under conditions of full occupancy and congestion. 2. Madison Street and all of the streets north, in addition to 28 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. being wider, are occupied with car tracks with only the ordinary block length intervening. South of Madison, Monroe Street and Jackson Boulevard do not furnish direct transportation facilities for carrying traffic out of the business center, while Harrison Street is a long block (practically two blocks) from Van Buren and there are no other adequate means of outlet to the west be- tween Harrison and 12th Streets. It is readily seen that the dis- trict north of Madison is much better supplied with free move- ment space and surface car transportation facilities than is that south. As previously stated, it is believed that the most subway development and building in the near future should be south rather than north of Madison Street. The Union Elevated Railroad "Loop." Before the Union Elevated Railroad "loop" is removed, pro- vision should be made for taking care of the traffic now han- dled by that structure on Wabash and Fifth avenues. While the "loop" structure is an eye-sore and nuisance in many respects, still it has created transportation demands which cannot be read- ily ignored or put aside. The enormous cost, the time consumed and the probable great damage to adjoining buildings, together with the probable great loss to business along the route during the construction period, will be such that very serious consideration should be given the whole situation before the building of subways for the sole purpose of getting rid of the elevated structure in the busi- ness district is undertaken. If every reasonable available means were taken to improve the structure so as to render it less unsightly and reduce the noise and other nuisance features to the least possible degree, the popu- lar clamor against it would largely disappear. A large factor to- ward the reduction of just criticism of the "loop" would be the es- tablishment of through routes and making the best possible use of the structure for rapid transit facilities, rather than using it largely as a terminal in the business district on which dead mile- age is run. ELEVATED RAILROAD DEVELOPMENT. 29 B.-ELEVATED RAILROADS. There is considerable prejudice against elevated railroads which should not be well founded if effective means were taken to relieve the distinctive nuisance features of the structure as embodied in unsightliness, noise, etc. To show that we are in- consistent in our prejudice against elevated roads, we have only to remember that we have been engaged for a number of years past in compelling the steam railroads throughout the city to elevate their tracks. If an elevated structure is so objectionable in one case, why not in the other ? Possible Routes to Develop. Before the final adoption of subway routes is decided upon there should be a thorough investigation made of the possibili- ties which may be developed in the rapid transit situation by building elevated lines adjacent to or as second-story structures over certain of the steam railroad rights of way. As an example of what has already been done in this line the construction of the Northwestern Elevated Terminal over the Chicago & North- western Railway tracks on North Water Street, and the Kenwood and Stock Yards extensions of the South Side Elevated Railroad over the Chicago Junction Railway tracks and right of way on 40th Street, may be noted. Also the Northwestern Elevated operating over the tracks of the C, M. & St. P. Ry. north of Wilson Avenue and the Metropolitan West Side beside the Balti- more and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad west of Central Avenue, Austin. To outline some of the features and routes which it is believed should be investigated with this object in view, the following suggestions are offered (see Plates 1 and 2) : (1) KINGSBURY STREET, HAWTHORNE AVENUE, ETC. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway occupies Kings- bury Street and Hawthorne Avenue east of the north branch of the Chicago River. It is my understanding that these tracks are to be elevated, and if suitable arrangements could be made to provide for elevated rapid transit over this right of way, the following possible advantages may be noted: 30 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. 1. It would give a direct diagonal route from Michigan Street to and near Sheffield Avenue from which point the line would turn north either over Sheffield Avenue or private right of way to a junction with the four-track line of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad at Sheffield Avenue and Willow Street. 2. The present alignment of the Northwestern Elevated from Michigan Street to Willow Street and Sheffield Avenue is very crooked and poorly adapted to high speed express service. 3. The alignment and location of the route outlined over the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul tracks would lend itself to high speed express operation. 4. The right of way of this route continues to the north- west to a point approximately at Diversey Boulevard and Ravens- wood Park, less than a mile south from where the Ravenswood Branch turns northward. To carry construction out to this point and then connect to that part of the Ravenswood Branch would seem to have possibilities for future development for a direct line and improved rapid transit for this portion of the city and that lying farther northwest. (2) CANAL OR CLINTON STREET ARCHER AVENUE ON OR NEAR ASHLAND AVENUE. By carrying a line along the north branch of the Chicago River, starting at about Illinois Street and Kingsbury Street, following the right of way of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul to the south, and crossing the north branch of the Chicago River north of Kinzie Street; thence continuing southwesterly either to Canal or Clinton Street, building south under the Chi- cago & Oak Park Elevated Railroad past the Northwestern Rail- way Terminal to a junction with or an over-crossing of the main line of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway; thence continuing south over either Clinton Street, Canal Street or along the right-of-way of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- way (Pennsylvania), to cross the south branch of the Chicago River, reaching the lines of either the Chicago & Alton, the Illinois Central, or the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; thence running ELEVATED RAILROAD ROUTES. 31 southwesterly between Archer Avenue and the Chicago River. The line could follow the right of way of some one of these roads, say to some point in the vicinity of Ashland Avenue, at which point it would turn south to run past the Stock Yards District. A connection could be made to the Stock Yards branch of the South Side Elevated Railroad. An extension might well be carried down to 63rd Street along or near Ashland Avenue to form a junction with the terminus of the Englewood branch also. (2a) ARCHER AVENUE OR SOUTHWEST EXTENSION. A continuation or extension of the line along the right of way of the above named railroads (preferably the Chicago & Alton) as far as Western Avenue, might be desirable also to serve the territory still farther southwest. (3) INDIANA AVENUE 16TH STREET. As previously outlined under Subways, an elevated structure was proposed over the right of way of the Illinois Central or St. Charles Air Line north of 16th Street from Indiana Avenue to a junction with the South Side Elevated Railroad. This same line could also be continued westward from the junction with the South Side Elevated Railroad along the right of way of the St. Charles Air Line until the right of way of the C, B. & Q. R. R., or the C. & N. W. Ry., west of the river, was reached, and con- tinuing west to a junction with the proposed Canal Street line, etc., described under (2). (4) FIFTH AVENUE 12TH STREET. (See Subway page 20.) The branch to the west over 12th Street might well turn off at about Fifth Avenue and Taylor Street and cross the river over the right-of-way of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. (See Plate 1). (5) CHICAGO AVENUE. If the construction along Hawthorne Street is carried out as suggested under (1), it would be possible to construct either 32 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. a subway or elevated line along Chicago Avenue from the North- western Elevated to a junction with this route, giving a more direct route for the rapid transit trains operating on the North Side through the proposed Michigan Avenue and Grant Park subway. (See Subway, page 20.) (If the subway previously described is built this line is unnecessary.) (6) NORTHWESTERN METROPOLITAN SOUTH SIDE CONNEC- TION. To connect the Ravens wood Branch to Logan Square Branch and the Douglas Park Branch to the Proposed Canal Archer Ashland line. With the development on the routes outlined, it would be possible to connect up these proposed systems and the existing systems with comparatively little added trackage to give a con- tinous north and south line, comprised as follows: That part of the Ravenswood Branch of the North- western Elevated located west of Ravenswood Park Ave- nue and north of Roscoe street; thence a new route run- ning south from where the Ravenswood branch turns east near Roscoe Street, to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul right of way southeasterly to about North Hermitage Ave- nue; thence south along or near Hermitage Avenue to a junction with the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway at Milwaukee Avenue west of Paulina Street; then using the existing line of the Metropolitan Elevated Railway south to a point near the intersection of Paulina and 21st streets; thence continuing south to a junction with the proposed line along the right of way of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, or the Illinois Central, or Chicago & Alton near or along Archer Avenue, as outlined under (2). (7) MILWAUKEE AVENUE EXTENSION FROM PAULINA TO LAKE STREET. To take care of the demands for transportation seeking entrance from the northwest over Milwaukee Avenue, it is believed that an extension of the Metropolitan Elevated on or ELEVATED RAILROADS, ADVANTAGES. 33 near Milwaukee Avenue should be made to connect with the suggested elevated line on Canal or Clinton Street, as well as with the proposed subway in Milwaukee Avenue extending to Halsted Street. (8) THE OUTLYING DISTRICTS. A glance at Plate 2 will show the great extent of territory lying within the city limits to the southeast, south, southwest and northwest not yet served, but which will require service in the future. Some sections are badly in need of the service at present. Advantage to be Derived. This part of the subject has not been gone into in much detail or the situation studied in the field, and this outline is offered merely as suggestions to point out the possibilities that may be developed. The particular advantages believed to lie in the development along these lines are that the right of way already occupied by railroad tracks in many, if not all cases, could be used to a decided advantage for this additional rapid transit development by the use of a second-story structure without any further damage to adjoining property or any additional occu- pancy of ground than is already taken up for transportation purposes. Another feature of the proposed routing worthy of consideration is the fact that where a route does not follow along or on the actual tracks of some steam railroad, the greater part of the routing is past or across steam railroad property. The steam-road tracks are in many cases already elevated. The cost for constructing elevated roads over such trackage as outlined would probably be more than ordinarily required for building in a street or over private right of way, but the damage claims should be little or nothing and the whole would unquestion- ably be only a small fraction of the cost required for the con- struction of subways. When account is taken of the decided saving in cost of this kind of construction over that required for the construction of subways and the fact that little or no additional damage is caused to adjoining property and the comparative ease and facility with which the construction may be carried out, 34 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. it is believed this should receive very serious consideration. For long haul rapid transit on a five-cent fare basis the expenditures for right-of-way and construction must be kept on the lowest possible basis to reduce the fixed charges and prevent them from becoming too great a burden for the traffic to support. Still other advantages which may be considered of the greatest importance would be that traffic could be passed from the North to the South, and the North and South to the West Sides destined to those points and vice-versa, without requiring all of this outside traffic to be carried through the business district, with the great over-crowding, congestion and delay caused by the demands from that district alone, as is now the case. The lines through the business district should not be bur- dened with traffic which has no desire or need of passing through that point. ENLARGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS OR DELIVERY DISTRICT. The line on Canal or Clinton Street would serve to draw traffic away from the congested loop center rather than to still further increase it. It would be accessible and convenient to a large amount of the manufacturing and business interests both on the east and west sides of the river in this territory and tend to reduce the overcongestion of the surface line on Halsted Street. It would so expand the rapid transit facilities lying back from the congested center that it probably would lead to very important developments in the territory served, thereby further relieving the tendency toward central congestion, which certainly will increase if no adequate transportation facilities are offered other than bringing everything down to the already overcrowded territory. Taking the boundaries included in the proposed de- velopment, Chicago Avenue on the north, Grant Park on the east, 16th Street on the south and Canal or Clinton Street on the west, the delivery district will have been enlarged to an area of two square miles or fully eight times that at present included inside the boundaries of the elevated "loop." We continually hear the plea for an enlargement of the ORDER OF DEVELOPING ADDED FACILITIES. 35 business district. It is to be hoped that object would be attained in part. The proposed route described under (6) will be a still greater enlargement and give much freer movement for the flow of traffic from one portion of the city to the other without increasing con- gestion and contribute to a more healthful growth and develop- ment. The over-crowding on Ashland Avenue, and in part the Halsted Street line would be relieved by the completion of this route. I may repeat that we should not allow our judgment to be too much biased by sentiment for subways. If we can secure from four to eight miles of elevated route, where we can only have one of subway, the already great and growing needs for rapid transit at low cost would seem to demand the less expensive construction wherever the routing can be so secured that there will result little or no added damage to property or disfigure- ment of the city as a whole. A glance at Plate 2 will show the great extent of territory inside the city limits to the south, south- west, west and northwest not yet served with rapid transit. ORDER OF DEVELOPMENT From the limited study given the matter, I believe the order of development might be about as follows: 1. Lake Street Grant Park Harrison Street, with Mil- waukee Avenue connection, for both "Surface Car" and Rapid Transit Routes. 2. Clark Street (Through and Short Trip), "Surface Car" Routes. 3. Michigan Boulevard Grant Park Indiana Avenue, for both Surface Car and Rapid Transit Routes. 3a. Hawthorne Kingsbury Clinton On or near Ashland, Elevated Route. 4. Northwestern Metropolitan to Junction with Archer Avenue Line of (2), Elevated Route. 5. Milwaukee Avenue, Paulina to Lake and Clinton, Ele- vated Route. 36 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. 6. Fifth Avenue Subways and Elevated connections to North and South Routes. 7. State Street Subway Route. JUNCTIONS AND CROSSINGS. In both elevated and subway construction, all grade crossing junctions should be avoided if possible. In most instances the elimination of grade crossings will add considerably to the cost. In the case of elevated lines, however, by constructing one track and its branch connection at a high level and the other at low level the increased cost will be moderate. The possibility of grade crossing elimination at junctions seems to have been ignored in this country with few exceptions. THROUGH ROUTING. From the North and South Sides to the West Side. In the different plans submitted there was more or less em- phasis placed on through-routing of trains from the west to the south side and from the west to the north side and vice versa. At first thought this might appear to be a very desirable fea- ture to introduce. On analysis, it would seem to possess very lit- tle, if any, advantage, if it were undertaken to follow the method out to a logical conclusion, for the following reasons : ( 1 ) Most of the traffic carried by the elevated roads at pres- ent from the west side comes into the business district without riding through either to the north or south side. (2) The "Northwestern" operates two branches, the "South Side" four, the "Metropolitan" four and the "Oak Park" one, the trains from which reach the business district. If it were under- taken to inter-through-route all of these lines and branches there would not only be an endless complication, but any train making any particular route would be so infrequent and the required wait entailed upon a passenger to get his particular train routing over the desired line would be so great that there would probably be no advantage whatever in attempting to do this. If universal SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. COSTS. 37 through-routing throughout the different branches is not to be introduced, then who is to answer the question as to what par- ticular branch or branches are to be selected on which through route trains are to be operated? Principal Advantage. It is not a question of through trains for accommodating this traffic so much as it is a question of saving dead mileage in the operation of trains entering or passing through the business district. The slight inconvenience of transfer to the few pas- sengers passing from one division of the city to another is really of slight importance. One of the fundamental principles to be kept in mind is to so arrange transportation systems that the tendency toward over- congestion may be avoided. Through-routing between the north and south sides is believed very desirable and important. One or more north and south through lines, west of the present con- gested center with convenient transfer to the different divisions of the city, without the necessity of carrying all transfer passen- gers through the zone of congestion, should go a long way toward relie/ing present bad conditions and promote a more healthy ex- pansion. ESTIMATES OF COST. Subways in Streets. It is believed that all of the estimates of cost presented by the different parties offering plans were far too low. Instead of the estimates then given of a million dollars (and in some cases less) for a mile of single track, it is believed that an esti- mate of two million dollars per single track mile ( four million dol- lars per mile of double track) is none too high and possibly may be greatly exceeded. As an illustration, I might state that for about a mile of double track subway built in Boston, namely on Washington Street, the cost was somewhat over eight million dollars. The difficulties to be contended with in Boston on ac- count of unsuitable soil and insecure foundations were probably 38 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. nowhere near as great as as those which it may be expected will be encountered in the Chicago streets. In the January, 1911, number of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Mr. Wm. S. Twining, formerly Chief Engineer of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co., gives the following estimate of probable costs for: Per Mile of Route Double-track. Lowest Cost. Average Cost. Surface line (trolley) $ 30,000 $ 50,000 Open floor elevated 300,000 400,000 Solid floor elevated 550,000 700,000 Subways 2,000,000 4,000,000 For detailed estimates of cost and the amount of mileage for Subway and Elevated construction covered in the preceding out- line of 'suggested routes, see Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 covers Rapid Transit Lines and Table 2 "Surface Car" Subways. OPEN CUT VERSUS STREET SURFACE MAINTAINED FOR TRAFFIC. As previously stated, if the work is done under cover, so as to maintain the surface of the street open for traffic, the cost will probably be from two to three times the amount required to do it in open cut. Subways in Grant Park, etc. The cost for subways under Grant Park, on account of free- dom from obstructions of any kind (except the Art Institute and passing under the I. C. station), open cut construction and the proposed large number of parallel tracks, not requiring heavy side walls, would probably not be over $500,000 per mile of sin- gle track, and might be less. First Glass Elevated Structure. The cost for a solid floor elevated structure, such as suggested be built to connect the present elevated railroads, should not be over about $200,000 to $250,000 per single track mile. Subways will probably cost from four to eight times as much as an ele- vated structure per mile. In other words, you can build from 4 to 8 miles of elevated to one mile of subway. SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. COSTS. 39 TABLE 1. MILEAGE AND COST OF SUGGESTED RAPID TRANSIT LINES. Route Length of Double Track Mile. LOCATION. On or Near From To SUBWAYS Lake St Peoria St Grant Park 1.24 Grant Park Lake St Van Buren St.. ... .60 Harrison St. Grant Park Peoria St 1.24 Michigan A v e. and Grant Park Chicago Ave. ...13th St 2.68 Chicago Ave Larrabee St Michigan Blvd. . ... 1.20 5th Ave. and Frank- lin St Chicago Ave. . . . Taylor St ... 1.64 Milwaukee Ave Ohio St Lake St ... .68 Wabash or State Harrison St Chicago Ave. .. ... 1.50 Chicago Ave State or Cass St. .Franklin St. ... ... .45 Total 11.23 Miles of Single Track, 22.46. Total Approximate Cost, $43,030,000.00. ELEVATED LINES. Near R a venswood Park, C, M. & St. P. and Hermitage.. Roscoe St Milwaukee Ave. 1.80 .80 C., M. & St. P. and Canal Willow St Madison St 2.36 Canal and C. & A. Right-of-Way Madison St Western Ave.. . . 5.00 Ashland Ave Archer Ave 63d St 1.96 3.28 42d St Ashland Ave. ...Jet. Stock Yds.. .36 63d St Ashland Ave. ...Loomis St ... .28 Michigan St Franklin St Kingsbury St 08 .12 Milwaukee Ave Paulina St Lake St .50 1.60 5th Ave Taylor St 12th St .32 12th St Canal St Alley E. of State .64 16th St Canal St Indiana Ave. .. .84 Indiana Ave 13th St 16th St .36 ... Totals 14.22 6.08 tGrand Total, Elevated Lines: Miles of double track, 20.30; miles of sin- gle track, 40.60; approximate cost, $10,150,000.00. *3.28 miles of double track subway route is on the route of the pro- posed widening of Pine Street (Michigan Boulevard) and through Grant Park. Estimated cost per mile of double track, $1, 000,000, amounting to $3,280.000. The balance, or 7.95 miles, is located through streets and esti- mated at $5,000,000 per double-track mile, amounting to $39,750,000. tElevated estimated at $500,000 per double-track mile. 40 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. TABLE 2. MILEAGE AND COST OF "SURFACE CAR" SUBWAYS. Route LOCATION Length Double On From To Track Remarks Milea Lake St Peoria St Grant Park. . . 1.24 Park construction Grant Park Lake St Harrison St.. .80 Harrison St. ...SrantPark Peoria St. ... 1.32Or near Halsted St. Clark St Lake St Harrison St. . .76 Clark St Illinois St Taylor St. ... 1.38 Grant Park and Michigan Bd .. Chicago Ave 14th St 2.24 Park construction Milwaukee Ave. .Ohio St Lake St 64 Total 8.38 Total Park Construction.. 3.04 miles Approximate Cost..$ 3,040,000 tTotal Street Construction . . 5.34 miles Approximate Cost . . 26,700,000 Grand Total 8.38 miles Approximate Cost. .$29,740,000 *Park Construction, estimated to cost $1,000,000 per double-track mile. tStreet Construction, estimated to cost $5,000,000 per double-track mile. Single track mileage, 16.76 miles. RECAPITULATION OF MILEAGE AND COST OF ALL LINES. "Surface Car" Subways 8.38 miles double track cost $29,740,000 Rapid Transit Subways 11.23 miles double track cost 43,030,000 Rapid Transit Elevated Lines. . . . 20.30 miles double track cost 10,150,000 Totals Double Track Route 39.91 miles, cost $82,920,000 Total Single Track Mileage. .. .79.8 miles NOTE : The estimate of $5,000,000 per double-track mile of street construction is based on "covered" wofk or maintaining the street open for traffic. The cost of reconstructing the under- ground utilities and the damage to buildings may be such as to considerably increase that figure. FINANCING, DISTRIBUTION OF TRAFFIC, ETC. 41 FINANCING. At least one project presented at the hearings was devoted almost exclusively to a proposal to finance a comprehensive sub- way system. Others offered general plans or some particular type of operating equipment with offers to finance the under- taking. The Traction Fund. At present the proposition to employ the accumulated sur- plus from the traction fund for starting subway construction and use up the future income from the same source as fast as it is available for continuing the development, seems to have gained considerable popular favor. AMOUNT INADEQUATE To MEET REQUIREMENTS. As pointed out above, the estimates of cost to construct under the great difficulties to be encountered in constructing subways in Chicago are probably much too low. It appears to the writer that the demands for relief from surface congestion and added rapid transit facilities are such that the funds available from that source (at the present time about $7,000,000, with the yearly accumula- tion of $1,500.000) will be inadequate to meet the requirements. Distribution oi Surface and Elevated Traffic. From such data as available, such as that contained in the "Supplemental Report on Subways, 1909," (not published) and the passenger earnings as given in published statements, it appears that the surface lines of the city carry about 74 per cent and the elevated lines about 26 per cent of the total city traffic. In the discussion following the presentation of his plan for subways, Mr. R. C. St. John made a statement to the effect that : Of the total number of passengers carried by the surface lines, less than 25 per cent are delivered to or taken from the business district. The other 75 per cent are carried outside of this district. 42 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. Of the elevated passengers about 82 per cent are delivered to and received from the business or "loop" district, leaving 18 per cent of outside origin and delivery. Equity oi the Proposed Use oi Traction Funds. During this discussion, Alderman Foell raised the following pertinent question : "Do you think it entirely equitable that all the money re- ceived by the city from the Traction Company should be expended in that portion of the city where only 25 per cent of the people that ride on the surface lines really want to go ? In other words, the total traction fund, which is contributed by the people all over the city, is being expended in a section through which less than 25 per cent of the people who use surface cars go." If the above figures are substantially correct, the use of the accumulated traction fund for building subways will amount to a contribution by one part of the traveling public for the benefit of another without any compensating benefits in the following manner : 1. "Surface Car" Subways : If "surface car" subways alone are built with the traction fund, only 25 per cent of the "surface car" passengers will be benefited while the other 75 per cent will have to share equally the burden of the cost. 2. Rapid Transit Subways : If , on the other hand, the trac- tion fund is used for constructing rapid transit (or elevated train) subways all of the surface car traffic will be taxed for the benefit of the elevated or rapid transit service with which it has nothing whatever to do. This does not seem like an equitable arrange- ment. It may be claimed that with consolidation of the rapid transit and surface lines this last objection will disappear. If consolida- tion were an accomplished fact, however, the use of the surface line fund for rapid transit subway building alone would mean that 74 per cent of the entire traveling public would be taxed for the benefit of the 21 per cent which use the elevated lines to the busi- ness district, and are not taxed themselves, or have to bear any THE MODERN CITY, TRANSPORTATION. 43 of the burden imposed to secure the better facilities which they would enjoy. DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL TRAFFIC. To summarize the traffic distribution as relating to the above problem in percentage : CLASS OF SERVICE. DESTINATIONS IN PER CENTS OF TOTAL TRAFFIC. Business Dist. Outside Business Dist. Totals. Elevated 21.32 04.68 26.00 Surface Line 18.50 55.50 74.00 Totals 39.82 60.18 100.00 It may be pertinent to repeat Alderman Foell's question if it is really a wise policy to depend on the traction fund for any such purpose. In fact, should there be any accumulation of this fund ? If there is any surplus would it not be better to use it for bettering the service until the present rush-hour crowding is somewhat reduced from the current practice? After accomplish- ing that a reduction in fares may logically follow. CONCLUSION. It is needless to say that the subject is of such magnitude that nothing more than a mere outline could be attempted above. It not only involves engineering and transportation questions, but financial, legal, ethical and even sociological. Adequate and cheap urban transportation is of such vast and vital importance to the modern city, that it should receive full recognition by the municipality and full measures should be under- taken for providing it. This vital necessity should not be left to mere chance or have to depend on private enterprise or exploita- tion. The municipality should at least undertake to provide the right-of-way over which urban transportation is to be carried. It might well go a step farther and furnish the structure on or through which the traffic is carried. At this point it is pertinent to raise the question as to whether we should not at once busy ourselves with the larger question of city planning having to do with the location of industrial, man- 44 SUBWAY AND ELEVATED R. R. DEVELOPMENT. ufacturing and trade centers. If we simply allow things to drift aimlessly without any intelligent effort to give direction, we can only expect the conditions tending to produce traffic congestion will grow continually worse until we are simply overwhelmed. It goes without saying that there are many industries located in the congested districts which could just as well, if not better, carry on their business operations in the outlying districts of the city, where their employes could live within walking distance of their work instead of being compelled to crowd the transportation lines twice a day. With the present tendency of everything toward the con- gested center one new transportation facility will no sooner have been introduced than it will become overtaxed. There is probably not a single city of any size in the country that has met or is now meeting its transportation demands in anything like an adequate manner. Chicago is no exception, un- less it is entitled to the credit of being one of the worst laggards. With the great mileage of steam railroads throughout the city which has been or is to be elevated, can we afford to be too sentimental about elevated lines for city rapid transit? As pre- viously stated, a single track mile of subway in a Chicago street will cost from four to eight times as much as a single track mile of first-class elevated road. In a word, if the conditions shown in the reconstruction of the old tunnels is any criterion, subway building in Chicago will be attended with some difficulty. These difficulties and the great amount of damage which may result from subway construction in the streets are little under- stood or appreciated by the general public.