Both for the benefit of this through-traffic as such and for the 

 benefit of the Botanical Garden as such, a radical improvement 

 in this situation seems almost imperative. It is possible that the 

 City may find a Way to open a new and more direct connection 

 for this great line of through-traffic independent of the Botanical 

 Garden, between the Grand Concourse near its present northern 

 end and a point in the southerly part of Bronx River Parkway 

 north of the Garden. (See Map B.) Also there is even more 

 reason to hope for the contemplated connection of Bronx River 

 Parkway Drive with the northern end of Bronx Park East, the 

 complete opening and improvement of the latter to Pelham 

 Parkway, and its ultimate extension across Pelham Parkway 

 into Boston Post Road. Such by-passes, if provided, would 

 greatly ease the situation, but even so it would remain far from 

 satisfactory. 



Certainly if this is not done, and probably even if it is done, 

 there should ultimately be a shorter and less tortuous road, on 

 good lines and grades and of ample width, following as closely 

 as practicable the westerly boundary of the Botanical Garden 

 and substantially independent of all its routes of interior circula- 

 tion, from Bronx River Parkway Drive at a point north of the 

 northwest corner of the Garden lands to Southern Boulevard, 

 which borders the southern part of the Garden on the west, and 

 connecting at grade, conveniently, with the roads which cross into 

 the Garden over the railroad at Woodlawn Road, at Mosholu 

 Parkway and at Bedford Park Boulevard (200th Street). 



Such a road or parkway for through-traffic, because of the 

 necessity for connecting with the bridges over the railroad, 

 should be built largely in heavy fill, on a broad embankment 

 that would provide a platform for a tall and dense border planta- 

 tion serving ultimately to screen from the landscape of the 

 Botanical Garden not merely the railroad but the very conspic- 

 uous miscellaneous buildings on the higher ground to the west, 

 far better than they can ever be screened otherwise. And from 

 such an embankment-road the throngs of people using it would 

 be able to overlook and enjoy in passing the neighboring portions 

 of the Garden without invading it or coming into conflict with 

 those who resort to the Garden primarily for its own sake. 



As a matter of intelligent city planning we believe that ulti- 

 mately a branch of such a thoroughfare should be, and probably 

 will be, provided directly south near the railroad to Fordham 

 Road along the edge of the Fordham University property. We 

 understand that this is now prohibited by legislation secured in 

 the supposed interests of Fordham University; but looking to 



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