The Astoria extension, which has made rapid transit an actuality for the northwestern portion of Queens borough, was placed in service on February 1 when the Interborough Rapid Transit Company at the direction of the Commission ran the first train. The Astoria branch is approximately 2.35 linear miles and 6.61 track miles in length and is provided with a third track so that express service may be had when the need arises for it, in addition to the local service now provided. The line cost to construct, exclusive of equipment, approximately $1,350,000. Work was begun early in 1913. The occasion of the opening of the Astoria line was made a day of special celebration in the section of the city through which it passes. Houses and business buildings were draped with flags and the event took on a holiday character. The Commission was represented in the official party at these opening exercises by Commissioners William Hayward, Henry W. Hodge, Travis H. Whitney and Charles S. Hervey, Acting Chief Engineer Daniel L. Turner, Secretary James B. Walker, and others.

On April 21, with appropriate exercises and a celebration lasting through the afternoon and into the evening, the Corona line was placed in service, with trains operating from the Grand Central terminal of the Queensboro subway in Manhattan to the terminus of the Corona line at Alburtis avenue. Through the opening of this line rapid transit was brought to the northern portion of Queens borough, the two lines to Astoria and Corona linking together practically all of the northern portion of that borough from the East river to Flushing creek.

The trip to Corona on the first train from Manhattan occupied 171⁄2 minutes, including two stops. Only a few minutes more are required for trains in the regular service. On the official train and in the subsequent exercises the Commission was represented by Commissioners William Hayward, Henry W. Hodge, Travis H. Whitney and Charles S. Hervey; Chief Engineer Daniel L. Turner; Robert Ridgway, Engineer of Subway Construction; Secretary James B. Walker, and others from the engineering and regulatory staffs. The Corona line, like the Astoria line, is three-tracked to provide for express service when the need for such service shall become apparent. The Corona line constitutes a part of Route 36 and all of Route 37 as laid

out in the Commission's route system. The contract for the construction of the major portion of the line was awarded on February i, 1913, and it is estimated that the total cost, exclusive of equip ment, was about $3,300,000, including cost of station finish, track installation, track materials, special construction, signal towers,

etc.

An important feature of this line is the type of ornamental concrete structure, a little less than a mile in length, on Queens boulevard, which has been described as the finest piece of elevated railroad construction in America. Tribute was uniformly paid by those in the official party to its structural and ornamental qualities. The Corona line is approximately 4.5 linear miles and 12.6 track miles in length.

In addition to the service in connection with the Queensboro subway, which will, as a part of the Dual System arrangements, be eventually extended from Park avenue, Manhattan, west to Times square, both the Corona and Astoria lines are connected with the Interborough elevated system by the Queensboro Bridge line hereinafter described, and will within the next year or two have full access to the elevated and subway lines of the B. R. T. system through the 60th Street tunnel, now under construction, which will connect the Broadway subway and the 59th Street subway in Manhattan with the Queens lines. Provision has been made for trackage rights for the New York Municipal Railway Corporation (B. R. T. system) over these lines.

QUEENSBORO BRIDGE LINE

The new line connecting the Interborough elevated system in Manhattan and the Queens lines, and commonly known as the Queensboro Bridge route, was placed in service on the morning of July 23 without special celebration. This line provided for the first time through rapid transit service between downtown Manhattan and Queens, the Astoria and Corona lines, mentioned above, being operated previously only by a transfer to the First Subway without physical connection. The beginning of operation on this line placed in use for rapid transit purposes the last of the four municipal bridges which cross the East river. At the time of

the signing of the Dual Contracts, in March, 1913, only two of these bridges performed such function. The Queensboro Bridge line is a company-owned line, title to which rests in the Inter borough Company. It was built under one of the certificates granted in connection with the Dual Agreements. The total cost of the construction was about $175,000.

WHITE PLAINS ROAD EXTENSION

On March 3, with appropriate exercises, a portion of the White Plains Road extension of the First Subway, from about 179th street to 219th street, was placed in service. On March 31, again with exercises reflecting the enthusiasm with which rapid transit was greeted in this portion of the city, service was extended. to 238th street, within about one-quarter of a mile of the terminus of the line at 241st street. The remaining portion, however, will not be placed in service for some months to come, owing to the rebuilding of the structure near 238th street, necessitated by the construction of the approaches to the elevated and subway car storage yards at 239th street.

The White Plains Road extension serves the northern central section of the Borough of The Bronx, hitherto reached only by trunk railroad and trolley lines. The northern part of the line extends through the one time rural villages of Williamsbridge, Woodlawn and Wakefield, now thriving portions of the urban community. The terminal station at 241st street is within a few minutes' walk of the northern city line so that it may well be said that this Dual System facility completely serves the section it traverses. It is a three-track elevated railroad and is operated at the present time by a shuttle service from the 177th Street station of the West Farms branch of the First Subway. The official train at the beginning of service had aboard as representatives of the Commission, Commissioners Henry W. Hodge, Travis H. Whitney and Charles S. Hervey; Daniel L. Turner, Acting Chief Engineer; Robert Ridgway, Engineer of Subway Construction; and James B. Walker, Secretary, together with other members of the engineering and regulatory staffs. Among the speakers at the celebrative exercises were Commissioners Hodge

and Whitney. The White Plains Road extension is approximately 4.8 linear miles and 14.6 track miles in length with eleven stations, two being ornamental concrete structures one near a principal entrance to Bronx Park and the other on the Pelham parkway, an important boulevard thoroughfare. At Gunhill Road station provision is made for connection with the new companyowned Webster Avenue extension of the Third Avenue Elevated railroad, so that in future elevated railroad trains may jointly operate with the subway trains north of Gunhill road. At the 180th Street-Morris Park Avenue station connection is had by a bridge with the 180th Street express station of the New York, Westchester and Boston electric railroad, which extends to White Plains and to New Rochelle. Two large storage yards are being constructed in connection with this line one of them mentioned above — the total cost of which will be approximately $650,000, making the total cost of the line with yards, exclusive of equipment, about $3,400,000. Construction began in 1914.

JEROME AVENUE BRANCH

Another important facility placed in service during the year was a portion of the Jerome Avenue branch of the Lexington Avenue subway, over which the first trains ran on. June 2, 1917. The Lexington Avenue subway, crossing under the Harlem river into The Bronx, forks into two branches, one extending partly as a subway and partly as an elevated line to Pelham Bay park, while the other extends under Mott avenue and park property as a subway and along River and Jerome avenues to Woodlawn road as an elevated line. It traverses the west side of The Bronx, approximately from north to south, a portion of the borough which has long awaited rapid transit as a means to proper development. Rapid transit service in the Jerome Avenue section, either by subway or by elevated railroad, has been advocated for more than a quarter of a century. The result of the construction of the new line is already apparent in the thousands of passengers who daily board its trains despite the limited facilities which it has been possible to place at their command in advance of beginning full operation upon the Lexington Avenue line.

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The portion already placed in service is that from 149th street and Mott avenue to Kingsbridge road, north of which point construction was not completed on the date of beginning of operation. The 149th Street station on the Jerome Avenue branch crosses at right angles above the Mott Avenue station on the West Farms branch of the First Subway, and the two stations are connected by mezzanine and stairway, with further provision for a passageway leading to an area upon which it is expected a central station for its lines in Bronx borough will be constructed by the New York Central Railroad Company within the next few years. This location is deemed to be a central traffic distributing point for The Bronx and in addition to the stairway connection now in use, there will be provided a physical connection between the Jerome Avenue branch and the West Farms branch when full service begins over the Lexington Avenue line. The remainder of the Jerome Avenue line will be opened for service from Kingsbridge. road to Woodlawn when Lexington Avenue operation begins.

The cost of the Jerome Avenue line, exclusive of the equipment furnished by the company, is estimated to be about $3,000,000, in addition to the cost of a large storage yard which is soon to be constructed adjacent to it. This line is to be joined with the west side elevated roads in Manhattan by a spur known as the 162d Street connection, now under construction and shortly to be placed in service. The route for the Jerome Avenue line was adopted in June, 1905, and the contracts were awarded late in 1913 and early in 1914, work having been begun in the latter year. Several of the stations on this line were constructed of concrete and are highly ornamental in character. The Jerome Avenue branch is three-tracked throughout, so that express service may be provided when the demand for it arises. The program of local exercises in connection with the opening ceremonies was in charge of the Bronx Transit League, the Commission being represented by Commissioners Henry W. Hodge and Travis H. Whitney; Secretary James B. Walker; Chief Engineer Daniel L. Turner; Robert Ridgway, Engineer of Subway Construction, and others.