08/16/1956 Board of Public Works Special Meeting Minutes

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512 August 16, 1956 A special meeting of the Board of Public Works & Safety was held on Monday, August 16, 1956 at :00 P.M. (DST). Irving J. Smith was absent. Those present were as follows: he New York Central was represented by T. E. Reynolds, assistant superintendent; Arthur Anderson, special ssistant engineer; D.K. Nelson and W. G. Warneke, engineers, and G. A. Farabuagh, Attorney. The Grand runk was represented by A. N. Laird, chief engineer, and J. R. Johnson, division engineer, both of Battle reek, Michigan. The New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois was represented by Bert M. Gadacz, South Bend, Assista uperintendent, and William J. Hedley, St. Louis, Missouri assistant chief engineer for the Wabash Railroa ompany. aymond S. Andrysiak, City Engineer, presided at the meeting. The meeting was opened with the introduction f Board members and the various representatives present. The meeting was solely for the purpose of solving the Olive -Sample Streets crossing problem. Andrysiak states that the City will seek the elavation of the! tracks at Olive and Washington Streets they will seek the co-operation of the railroads involved in financing a survey of ways and means of ac-+ ,lishing both goals. He also suggests that the railroads voluntarily move their switching operations west ,een Olive and Mayflower Road. Mr. A. N. Laird, Chief Engineer of the Grand Trunk said that there is not nearly enough room to ke such a move and also that it would cost millions of dollars. And, too, this would not solve the cross oblem because freight would still have to be delivered to factories east of the crossing. Andrysiak explained that alternatives would have to be either the elavation of the tracks or the lavation or depression of Olive and Sample Streets. He also admits that the City is in no position to iss onds to pay its share of the cost of the proposals but expressed the view that federal and state assistanc ay be possible following a bil now pending in the Common Council. T. E. Reynolds, Assistant Superintendent of the New York Central suggests that the companies co- erate and keep their switching operations at a minumum so as to keep the tracks open during rush hours. so a thorough study should be made to see if there is a possibility of removing any.of the present tracks. G. A. Farabaugh, Attorney, explained also that moving yards west would not only cost millions of ollars but would not solve the problem because of serving the industries in the middle of town. A. N. Laird, Chief Engineer of Grand Trunk suggested the possibility of a grade separation which ould involve the rerouting of the two highways or the tracks. Ernest H. Miller, Traffic Engineer, City of South Bend suggests that a report be given by each ailroad company involved stating why the yards cannot be moved west; if the number of tracks can be reduce nd if the tracks could be lowered. Arthur Anderson, special assistant engineer, suggested that the City appoint a Committee consist f Consulting Engineers to make a seried of surveys and studies of the crossing problem. A.N. Laird reports that railroad department engineers and the City's Consulting Engineers then eet to discuss the situation after these surveys have been made. Andrysiak agrees with the suggestions of Mr. Anderson and Mr. Laird and closes with the statement hat the City does not regard the railroads as problems to the City but we regard then as very useful assets n our economic setup. There being no further business to come before the Board the meeting was hereby adjourned at 3:00 .M. (DST). r TTEST: ANTHGNY/J�,BO, CLERK • 0 • • • L'