TRANSACTIONS OF WAGNER 



lO 



THE ELIMINATION OF GRADE-CROSSINGS IN CITIES 



their existence was, therefore, an economic necessity. If they had been re- 

 quired at that time, it is likely the railroad could not have been built. As the 

 travel on the railroads and highways increases, these crossings become more and 

 more objectionable. Some system of protection by means of watchmen and 

 gates is then required, and finally nothing remains to be done but to eliminate 

 them altogether at great expense. In the study of any particular case we will 

 find that the necessity of opening more streets over the railroad, as the city de- 

 velops, makes conditions worse. Neither the railroad nor the city is inde- 

 pendent of each other; their interests are mutual. One depends on the other 

 for its increase of business or for its extension and development. The final 

 situation which calls for action is one of necessity, in which both interests are 

 involved, and the measure of the necessity is the amount and character of the 

 traffic, the amount of interference with travel, and the amount of danger. It 

 may be that the amount of traffic on the railroad or street is such as to call for 

 some kind of protection or the regulation of the speed of trains, but this soon 

 ceases to be adequate and a point is reached when the expense of the eHmina- 

 tion of the crossing is justified. 



The history of the work of the systematic elimination of grade-crossings 

 possibly extends back to about the year 1880, although it did not begin to be 

 considered an important subject until within the past twenty years. During 

 the past fifteen years the progress has been steady, and the movement toward 

 the elimination of the most dangerous ones has been rapid on the part of the 

 cities and the railroads. 



The greatest work in this Hne has probably been done in the city of Chi- 

 cago, where, on account of the level character of the ground and the large num- 

 ber of railroads, the conditions are worse than in almost any of the large cities 

 in the United States. It is stated that the elimination of 780 grade-crossings 

 had been arranged for in Chicago up to 1911. Philadelphia is credited with 

 the next largest number, viz., 120, and Buffalo third, with 94 to its credit. 



2. PROTECTION WITHOUT ABOLISHMENT 

 Except as to those reckless or careless travelers on the highway who will 

 pay no attention to any warning, grade-crossings can be protected so that they 

 may safely be used. 



In many cases a crossing can be protected so as to make it fairly safe ex- 

 cept for those who will pay no attention to any warning. A list of the various 



