Joyia Williams

Professor Almeida

LIB 2205/ARCH 2205

17 June 2016

New York Times. (1932, June 30). Commuter Service Called Inefficient. New York Times. p. 32

The New York Times (NYT) reports that New York Central Railroad is proposing a forty percent (40%) increase on its current commuter fare at a Public Service and Transit Commissions hearing, but consulting engineer John C. Brackenridge asserts that the proposed fare hike is completely unnecessary on the basis of resource mismanagement. Brackenridge alleges that NY Central uses more railcars than necessary to transport passengers to/from Westchester County, subsequently, requiring more manpower and electricity usage (p. 32). NYT mentions that Brackenridge sources his testimony by collecting his own “proper adjustment of car mileage to commuter traffic” (para. 3.), and utilizing “his own ‘liberal’ allowances for labor and material costs” (para. 3). Brackenridge’s findings conclude that NY Central earns enough profit from current commuter fare, and to approve any fare hike would be unjust to the passenger.

Though this is not a current source, this article would be a reliable source because NYT is a highly-respected newspaper, and,  is relevant to GCT’s demise. This article appears to be objective because there’s no indication of a hidden agenda from the writer, and the contradictory findings come from a professional hired directly by GCT. Also, the consulting engineer could’ve easily accepted a bribe from GCT and recommended the commuter passenger fare hike but yet he chose to make his own findings and do his job honestly.  would consider the source scholarly because only professional familar the  could peer review this source, and include it in an academic database.

This article exposes Grand Central Terminal’s “ dirty laundry” for those researchers looking to uncover GCT’s possible role in its own demise. Portraying GCT in an negative light, the article makes readers a little more inquisitive and even suspicious of GCT records/bookkeeping, its true financial status and the Commodore’s role in price gouging, if any.