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47 Step by step, the Holland Tunnel was nearing completion after a long seven years of construction. People on both sides of the river anticipated the opening of the tunnel with enthusiasm and excitement. Contemporary newspaper accounts reflect the keen interest that readers had in something they had been reading about for years. But before the tunnel could be opened, there were some necessary administrative tasks. Regulations had to be developed and rates had to be set. Neither task was completely straightforward. In early 1927 a committee of the commissioners was set up to study the problem of rate setting. It was clear that tolls for motor vehicles would have to cover maintenance, salaries, and amortization. Beyond that simple equation , there was a need for nuanced judgment. The commissioners felt that the tolls should be sufficiently low as to attract motorists, but not so low as to put car ferries out of business. If the ferries were to give up altogether, it would throw too much traffic to the tunnel. They also felt that it would be bad public policy to abandon ferry service, because it was necessary to have an alternate service available in the event that the tunnel was shut down for one reason or another. At the same time, tolls would have to be set sufficiently high so as to prevent the congestion brought about by attracting too many vehicles.1 The commissioners’ deliberations over toll charges dragged on for months. There was considerable political pressure from the business community to keep rates at a minimum. Feelings were running high, and the commissioners reluctantly agreed to hold a public hearing on the matter. The commissioners were wary of revealing very much about their discussions. However, General Dyer, head of the New York Tunnel Commission, did say that he believed that the rates should not be any higher or any lower per vehicle than those charged by the ferries for the same service.2 Winning Acceptance grand opening of the holland tunnel chapter 3 I Finally, on the first day of November 1927, just days away from the formal opening of the tunnel, the rates were announced. The tolls included a basic rate of fifty cents for a regular automobile, regardless of the number of passengers , because counting the passengers would have been too time-consuming and would have interrupted the steady flow of traffic. Motorcycles were charged half price, twenty-five cents, while buses were charged double, one dollar. Trucks had variable rates depending on their weight, from a small truck at fifty cents all the way up to two dollars for a very large truck of ten to twelve tons. These rates per vehicle were roughly comparable to those charged by the ferry companies, though the bus charge was a bit cheaper and the motorcycle charge was a bit more expensive.3 At the same time that rates were announced, the rules and regulations for traffic were published. The speed limit was set at 35 miles per hour. With regard to following distance, motorists were supposed to maintain a space of not less than 75 feet between vehicles. This regulation certainly made sense from a safety point of view, but it was difficult to enforce. If you figure a typical car of the day was 15 feet in length, then authorities were asking motorists to maintain a space of five car lengths from the car in front of them. While a careful and prudent motorist might do so, many failed to maintain a sufficient stopping distance and rode the bumper of the car ahead—as many still do. Other regulations dealt with oversize and slow-moving vehicles, which required special permits. These included such things as floats, steamrollers, steam shovels, movable cranes, and so forth. Of course, some vehicles were excluded altogether. These included bicycles, pushcarts, double-deck buses, and horse-drawn vehicles. Still other regulations dealt with the commonsense exclusion of dangerous articles such as explosives, inflammable liquids, corrosive liquids, and poison gases or liquids. Finally, there were also a number of regulations for drivers. For example, they were not permitted to change tires in the tunnel, nor were they allowed to smoke. Reasonably enough, drivers were not supposed to sound horns or sirens, since these sounds would be uncomfortably amplified in the confines of the tunnel, though some did from time to time.4 To satisfy the curiosity of the public, officials...

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