PLAN OF NEW YORK AND  ITS  ENVIRONS
 

RAILROAD COMMUTING FARE ZONES

IT IS generally conceded that families should be encouraged to live as far as
possible outside the congested centers, where land is cheaper and where
their environment, while it might be less exciting, would be more wholesome.
Such a movement is quite evident in most populous districts. It is said that the
County of London has, within the last ten years, given up 500,000 of its popula¬
tion, who have gone further out. The problem confronting the family is whether
or not the amount which might be saved by lower rents or cheaper homes in out¬
lying districts would be more than absorbed by commuting rates between home
and business. The map on page 25 is intended to show just how far such a family
could go at a certain daily expense for travel. The commuting zones at 5 cent
intervals, and marked 15 cents, 20 cents, and so forth, show the cost of a one¬
way trip, on a basis of a total yearly commuting cost spread over 300 days in
the year. Those who were kept in mind in preparing this chart were the men and
women of modest means, whose vacations are probably limited to a fortnight,
and who must make the round trip from home to place of employment about
300 times a year. An examination of this diagram would enable such persons
to determine quite readily how far out from the great center they could afiford
to go to make their homes. Very few of those in the cities can live within walk¬
ing distance of their work. Their movement to and from their places of employ¬
ment is attended with discomfort and the city transit facilities are greatly over¬
taxed. Some of the railroads may not be prepared to accommodate more com¬
muters at their existing terminals on Manhattan Island, but with the solution of
the problem of terminal accommodation and distribution the number of those
who can live under more natural conditions should be greatly increased.

Boundaries

State------------■ ■ ■------------■ ■ • ----------- ■ • ■------------

County------ •------------------------•------

Township, City, etc.-----------------------

[ i        .] Area served by New York City Rapid Transit System.
Note; Circles show distances from New York City Hall.
 

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