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The Fifth Avenue Association INC. 358 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK Telephone: Wisconsin 1200 - 2 - BULLETIN No.58, JANUARY 1931 UNDER-RIVER SECTION OF MIDTOWN-38TH STREET TUNNEL APPROVED - - BORINGS FOR UNDER-MANHATTAN SECTION MADE On December 30th the War Department gave official sanction to the application of the city for the construction of vehicular tunnels under the East River at 38th Street, a part of the Midtown-38th Street Tunnels plan sponsored by our Association, and adopted by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment in July 1929, which calls for construction of these tunnels from Tenth Avenue in Manhattan under 37th and 38th Streets to Second Avenue and under the East River into Brooklyn and Queens. Work on this under-river section is expected to be started without delay. During the closing weeks of December, land borings in midtown Manhattan have also been going forward in connection with the under-Manhattan section, which will eventually link the East River and Hudson River tunnels. Several organizations, including The Broadway Association and The Thirty Fourth Street-Midtown Association, which had advanced objections to certain features of the Manhattan section of the plan have withdrawn these objections and are urging strongly the immediate construction of the tunnels. PLAN FOR HUDSON TUNNEL AT 38TH STREET DISCUSSED FOR SUBMISSION TO LEGISLATURES Joint committees of the Legislatures of New York and New Jersey, appointed early in 1930 to confer with the Port of New York Authority on the construction of a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson from 38th Street, Manhattan, to Weehawken, New Jersey, met recently to go over details in connection with a plan for this tunnel, which plan they have ready for submission to the 1931 Legislatures of both states. Approval of this plan by the two Legislatures is necessary before the Port Authority can go ahead with the construction of the tunnels. It is hoped that work can begin in 1932. The tunnels would be open in 1938. Back in 1928, in a letter to the Port Authority, our Association proposed this 38th Street crossing of the Hudson River in anticipation of approval of the city's tunnels, which plan was also sponsored by our Association. POSTAL INFORMATION REGARDING LETTERS ENCLOSED WITH GOODS RETURNED Some of our members have been put to expense and annoyance because of a charge levied by the post office on goods returned by mail in which the charge slip or sales check sent with the goods is returned in the same package. This, the post office rules, warrants a sur-charge for first class mail. If any of our members have encountered this condition in their mailing departments, we urge them to get in touch with us in order that we may give them the benefit of information received in several conferences we have had with the postal authorities. The details of the plan suggested by the post office department are too lengthy for publication here. SNOW REMOVAL PLANS COMPLETE Working with the officials of the Street Cleaning Division of the Department of Sanitation, plans for the immediate removal of snow from Fifth, Madison, and Park Avenues, and contiguous streets, during the winter months have been agreed upon by our officers. Plows, sweepers and crosswalk gangs will be assigned immediately after the first fall of snow and just as soon as there has been sufficient snow piled, "loading machines", four working south, and four working north, will begin to operate between 23rd and 59th Streets. ALTERATION OF THE TWENTY-THIRD STREET UNDERPASS The Committee of the Whole of the Board of Estimate has deferred further consideration of our proposal in connection with the pedestrian underpass at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue until after the appointment of the new Borough President of Manhattan and until his office has had a chance to consider a new plan for changing the present passageway of the B.M.T. to make it a free pedestrian tunnel. The new Borough President will take office after the first of the year. NEW YORK CITY MUSEUM NOW OPEN The new Museum of the City of New York, at 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue, was opened to the public December 18th. This building, designed by one of our members, Mr. Joseph H. Freedlander, is built on land given by the city for this purpose. The beauty of the building, and the fact that it will contain the complete history of the growth of New York City, brought considerable publicity to this opening. It will be recalled that the wing of this museum which will be given over to the "History of Fifth Avenue", was founded by Colonel Friedsam, our president, who gave $100,000 for this purpose last summer. "KEEP THE FIFTH AVENUE SECTION FIRST IN THE WORLD" Wm. J. Bedrick Wm. J. Bedrick Executive Vice President M. Friedsam. M. Friedsam President
