N.Y. Development of Port of New York 43/22 § 5: Belt lines

§ 5. Belt lines. The numbers hereinafter used correspond with the

numbers which have been placed on the map of the comprehensive plan to

identify the various belt lines and marginal railroads.

Number 1. Middle belt line. Connects New Jersey and Staten Island and

the railroads on the westerly side of the port with Brooklyn, Queens,

the Bronx and the railroads on the easterly side of the port. Connects

with the New York Central railroad in the Bronx; with the New York, New

Haven and Hartford railroad in the Bronx; with the Long Island railroad

in Queens and Brooklyn; with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad near

Elizabethport and in Staten Island; with the Central Railroad Company of

New Jersey at Elizabethport and at points in Newark and Jersey City;

with the Pennsylvania railroad in Newark and Jersey City; with the

Lehigh Valley railroad in Newark and Jersey City; with the Delaware,

Lackawanna and Western railroad in Jersey City and the Secaucus meadows;

with the Erie railroad in Jersey City and the Secaucus meadows; with the

New York, Susquehanna and Western, the New York, Ontario and Western and

the West Shore railroads on the westerly side of the Palisades above the

Weehawken tunnel.

The route of the middle belt line as shown on said map is in general

as follows: Commencing at the Hudson river at Spuyten Duyvil running

easterly and southerly generally along the easterly side of the Harlem

river, utilizing existing lines so far as practicable and improving and

adding where necessary, to a connection with Hell Gate bridge and the

New Haven railroad, a distance of approximately seven miles; thence

continuing in a general southerly direction, utilizing existing lines

and improving and adding where necessary, to a point near Bay Ridge, a

distance of approximately eighteen and one-half miles; thence by a new

tunnel under New York bay in a northwesterly direction to a portal in

Jersey City or Bayonne, a distance of approximately five miles, to a

connection with the tracks of the Pennsylvania and Lehigh Valley

railroads; thence in a generally northerly direction along the easterly

side of Newark bay and the Hackensack river at the westerly foot of the

Palisades, utilizing existing tracks and improving and adding where

necessary, making connections with the Jersey Central, Pennsylvania,

Lehigh Valley, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, Erie, New York,

Susquehanna and Western, New York, Ontario and Western, and West Shore

railroads, a distance of approximately ten miles. From the westerly

portal of the Bay tunnel and from the line along the easterly side of

Newark bay by the bridges of the Central railroad of New Jersey

(crossing the Hackensack and Passaic rivers) and of the Pennsylvania and

Lehigh Valley railroads (crossing Newark bay) to the line of the central

railroad of New Jersey running along the westerly side of Newark bay and

thence southerly along this line to a connection with the Baltimore and

Ohio railroad south of Elizabethport, utilizing existing lines so far as

practicable and improving and adding where necessary, a distance of

approximately twelve miles; thence in an easterly direction crossing the

Arthur kill, utilizing existing lines so far as practicable and

improving and adding where necessary, along the northerly and easterly

shores of Staten Island to the new city piers and to a connection, if

the city of New York consent thereto, with the tunnel under the Narrows

to Brooklyn provided for under chapter seven hundred of the laws of the

state of New York for nineteen hundred and twenty-one.

Number 2. A marginal railroad to the Bronx extending along the shore

of the East river and Westchester creek connecting with the middle belt

line (number one), and with the New York, New Haven and Hartford

railroad in the vicinity of Westchester.

Number 3. A marginal railroad in Queens and Brooklyn extending along

Flushing creek, Flushing bay, the East river and the upper New York bay.

Connects with the middle belt line (number one), by lines number four,

number five, number six and directly at the southerly end at Bay Ridge.

Existing lines to be utilized and improved and added to and new lines

built where lines do not now exist.

Number 4. An existing line to be improved and added to where

necessary. Connects the middle belt line (number one), with the marginal

railroad number three near its northeasterly end.

Number 5. An existing line to be improved and added to where

necessary. Connects the middle belt line (number one), with the marginal

railroad number three in Long Island City.

Number 6. Connects the middle belt line (number one), with the

marginal railroad number three in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn.

The existing portion to be improved and added to where necessary.

Number 7. A marginal railroad surrounding the northerly and westerly

shores of Jamaica bay. A new line. Connects with the middle belt line

(number one).

Number 8. An existing line, to be improved and added to where

necessary. Extends along the southeasterly shore of Staten Island.

Connects with middle belt line (number one).

Number 9. A marginal railroad extending along the westerly shore of

Staten Island and a branch connection with number eight. Connects with

the middle belt line (number one), and with a branch from the outer belt

line (number fifteen).

Number 10. A line made up mainly of existing lines, to be improved and

added to where necessary. Connects with the middle belt line (number

one) by way of marginal railroad number eleven. Extends along the

southerly shore of Raritan bay and through the territory south of the

Raritan river reaching New Brunswick.

Number 11. A marginal railroad extending from a connection with the

proposed outer belt line (number fifteen) near New Brunswick along the

northerly shore of the Raritan river to Perth Amboy, thence northerly

along the westerly side of the Arthur kill to a connection with the

middle belt line (number one) south of Elizabethport. The portion of

this line which exists to be improved and added to where necessary.

Number 12. A marginal railroad extending along the easterly shore of

Newark bay and the Hackensack river and connects with the middle belt

line (number one). A new line.

Number 13. A marginal railroad extending along the westerly side of

the Hudson river and the Upper New York bay. Made up mainly of existing

lines----the Erie Terminals, Jersey Junction, Hoboken Shore, and

National Docks railroads. To be improved and added to where necessary.

To be connected with middle belt line (number one).

Number 14. A marginal railroad connecting with the middle belt line

(number one), and extending through the Hackensack and Secaucus meadows.

Number 15. An outer belt line, extending around the westerly limits of

the port district beyond the congested section. Northerly terminus on

the Hudson river at Piermont. Connects by marginal railroads at the

southerly end with the harbor waters below the congested section. By

spurs connects with the middle belt line (number one) on the westerly

shore of Newark bay and with the marginal railroad on the westerly shore

of Staten Island (number nine).

Number 16. The automatic electric system for serving Manhattan Island.

Its yards to connect with the middle belt line and with all the

railroads of the port district. A standard gauge underground railroad

deep enough in Manhattan to permit of two levels of rapid transit

subways to pass over it. Standard railroad cars to be brought through to

Manhattan terminals for perishables and food products in refrigerator

cars. Cars with merchandise freight to be stopped at its yards. Freight

from standard cars to be transferred onto wheeled containers, thence to

special electrically propelled cars which will bear it to Manhattan.

Freight to be kept on wheels between the door of the standard freight

car at the transfer point and the tail board of the truck at the

Manhattan terminal or the store door as may be elected by the shipper or

consignee, eliminating extra handling.

Union terminal stations to be located on Manhattan in zones as far as

practicable of equal trucking distance, as to pickups and deliveries, to

be served by this system. Terminals to contain storage space and space

for other facilities. The system to bring all the railroads of the port

to Manhattan.