Report

The Bradley Contracting Company being the lowest bidder for all three sections, their bids were formally accepted by the Board the same day. The contracts for their construction were duly executed on June 27, and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was requested by the Rapid Transit Board to direct the Comptroller of the city of New York to issue corporate stock, to provide construction at the public expense, to an amount not exceeding the sum bid for the three sections, including the construction of pipe galleries, such sum amounting to $3,849,606, the same to bear interest at not to exceed 4 per centum per annum.

Under the terms of the contracts for these three sections, the work of construction is to be completed within twenty months from the date of delivery of the contracts.

ROUTE NO. 19.

Route No. 19, known as the Westchester Avenue Extension, as originally adopted on May 12, 1905, is described as follows:

Beginning at or near intersection of Lincoln avenue and East One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street. a three-track subway east on One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street to Southern Boulevard; thence a three-track elevated road on Southern Boulevard to Westchester avenue; thence on Westchester avenue and Westchester turnpike to the Village of Westchester at Williamsbridge road.

This route, however, was changed to take in that section over and along the extension of Westchester avenue, as laid out by law, to a point where such extension intersects the westerly side of the easterly boulevard. Below is a description of this route as amended:

Beginning at or near intersection of Lincoln avenue and East One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street, a three-track subway east on One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street to Southern Boulevard; thence a three-track elevated road on Southern Boulevard to Westchester avenue; thence on Westchester avenue and Westchester turnpike through the Village of Westchester, and over the extension of Westchester avenue, as laid out by law, to the intersection with the westerly side of the Eastern Boulevard.

As thus amended, the route was adopted by the Rapid Transit Board on May 17, 1906, and approved by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on June 8, 1906, and shortly thereafter steps were taken to obtain the consents of a majority of the property owners along this route, which majority of consents were obtained by the end of January, 1997. Thereupon the Board considered the advisability of proceeding with the preparation of plans and contract and to advertise for bidders for its construction, and on January 31, 1907, referred the matter to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to be advised in respect to the manner in which the contract should be advertised. Accordingly on April 12 the Board of Estimate and Apportionment recommended that alternate bids be invited, first, for construction only, and second, for construction, equipment and operation.

The above is the present status of this route, no further action having been taken by the board during the remaining few months of its existence. It has advanced thus far, practically in shape to be let for contract whenever it is considered desirable.

MANHATTAN BRIDGE ROUTE.

On April 18, 1907, the Rapid Transit Board revised the Manhattan B route, so as to allow for four tracks throughout the whole route, . nich route as originally adopted providing for only two tracks, failed to nake adequate provision for connections between this route and a proposed s to be constructed under Third avenue, in the borough of Manhattan, and with another proposed subway to be constructed under Canal street, west of Centre street. This Manhattan Bridge route also includes a spur in Manhattan to run from the Canal street branch of the loop line now being constructed under Centre street, Delancey street and Canal street to the Manhattan Bridge.

The approval to the construction of this route was obtained by the Bo”of Estimate and Apportionment on April 26.

FOURTH AVENUE, FORT HAMILTON AND CONEY ISLAND ROUTE.

The Fourth avenue, Fort Hamilton and Coney Island route forms a part of the so-called Tri-Borough route, for which the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on December 7, 1906, recommended to the Rapid Transit Board that alternate bids be invited, first, for construction alone, and second, for construction, equipment and operation. The consents of property owners to the construction of this subway route remaining to be obtained to cover the Bensonhurst and Coney Island portion of the line, these consents were all obtained by April 18, 1907, through the individual efforts of Mr. F. A. Hutson, an enterprising citizen of Brooklyn, interested in the development of that borough. This Fourth avenue and Coney Island subway route, therefore being in shape by that date to be put under immediate construction, prompt measures were taken by the Rapid Transit Board to that end, and on May 31 it requested the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to rescind so much of its resolution of December 7, 1906, above referred to, relating to this route, so as to let contracts for construction only, of so much of the lines forming this route as include the Manhattan Bridge route and the Fourth avenue and Bensonhurst route and other routes in Brooklyn; these combined routes forming a line running from Chrystie street, in the borough of Manhattan, across the Manhattan Bridge and under Fourth avenue and other streets, in the borough of Brooklyn, with termini at or near Fort Hamilton and at Coney Island, being four tracks to Fortieth street and two tracks each under Fort Hamilton and Coney Island lines from that point; the two-track portions to be built as part of four-track lines, the remaining tracks to be added later as necessity should require. The total cost in constructing this entire route your engineer estimated would amount to a sum not to exceed $23,000,000.

On June 4 the consent of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to the construction of this route as recommended by the Rapid Transit Board was obtained, and plans and contracts having been duly prepared the same were adopted by the Rapid Transit Board at its meeting on June 27, which was the last meeting of the Board before its retirement from office. A hearing on the form of contract as required by law was also ordered by the Board to be held on the last Thursday of July, 1907. This was as far as the Rapid Transit Board could proceed in this matter, the necessary further steps in the letting of contract for this route and proceeding with its construction devolves on the successors of the Rapid Transit Board, the Public Service