modation of the long-distance
water-borne commerce, especially on the North River.

In the East River the importance of ferry-boats as a means of traffic
distribution has already been greatly reduced by the construction of
bridges and tunnels which provide for the greater part of the passenger
and vehicular traffic. The North River, however, by reason of its
greater width and the comparative slowness of its currents, is by far
the more important waterway for the use of ocean-going vessels of the
larger classes. In this river the conditions for the construction of
bridges, within the limits of commercial convenience, seem to be
practically prohibitory. Tunnels, for the transportation of passengers
and the diversion of the freight traffic from the inner waters of the
harbor, are apparently the only available means of relief.

When the new line is in operation, a very large part of the New York
passenger traffic of the Pennsylvania Railroad will be carried to the
New York Station at Seventh Avenue and 33d Street and the rest will go
to Cortlandt Street through the Hudson Company's tunnels. Thus a large
portion of the Pennsylvania passenger ferry traffic, which amounts to
more than 91,000 passengers daily, will be practically eliminated from
the water-transportation problem. In addition, a large part of the Long
Island Railroad's passengers will use the station at Seventh Avenue and
33d Street, and its ferry traffic will be reduced accordingly.

The new arrangements for the transfer of freight from Greenville to Bay
Ridge will relieve the inner waters of the harbor of a large volume of
obstructive car-float traffic. There appears to be no reason why this
traffic should not be eventually conducted through tunnels under the
outer harbor, should future transportation conditions justify the
enormous cost of such structures.

It is to be remarked that while these new arrangements greatly reduce
the passenger and freight water transportation, they have no effect on
the large vehicular traffic across the North River which must continue
to be conducted by ferries until it can be otherwise provided for. As
long as these conditions exist, ferry-boats must be used in large
numbers and continue to obstruct the North River. This difficulty
probably cannot be overcome by the construction of bridges, as in the
case of the East River, but it does not seem too much to expect that,
eventually, tunnels to provide for the vehicular traffic,