Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-12
Mr.. 0lmstead Makes Many Sug-
gestions to the Commissioners.
BROAD ROADS AND MORE PARKS
Suggests Drives Parallel With
Metropolitan Branch.
ONE SUDDEN CURV E s

| SeVeTdl UayS ago setting iOTth the Cohciu-
sions OF Mr.. Frederick Law Olmstead the
| landscape engineer, upon a portion of the
plans of the Commissioners for the estab-
| Iishment of a permanent system Of high
ways was received with considerable salts
faction, and the Commissioners have re-
| ceived many congratulations that at last
| the matter is on the road to completion.
| 1t will be recalled that with few minor
| changes Mr.. Olmstead approved the plans
| of the Commissioners, a detail of which
| was set forth at the time in The Star. Mr..
| Olmstead was selected by Congress to go
| over the plans of the Commissioners and
| report thereon.
| Considerable interest centers about Mr..
| Olmstead's report, and it was not until to-
| day that it was given out for publication.
| The report says:
'On sheets 10: We think it would be adj
visable to indicate by dotted lines street
to run through Soldiers Home grounds to
| connect 9TH street west of these grounds
| with Michigan avenue and LIST street south
| of them. Even although such line of
| stree; would not be binding, yet 1t should
| be indicated in order that all concerned
may have 1t in mind desirable line
| to be carried out in the future. 1t seems
| to us that the street through the grounds
of the Howard University. west of the
reservoir site, should be widened 1t would
be well to curve Lydecker street at the
point where there is an angle In 1t. We
would prefer thct the extension Of Sher-
be modified so that there would be more
graceful reverse curves, or else one single
long curve ending at Lydecker avenue.
Sheet 10: We would advise that a tang
ent Of twenty-five or thirty feet be intro
duced in the middle of the reverse curve
on Prospect street near 18th street. We be-
lieve that you have adopted our suggestion
that Morris and Prospect streets should
be carried straight through to 10th street,
leaving a reservation between the two on
the west side of 18th street. We made
some suggestions to your assistant in re-
gard to the junction Of streets with 18th
street a little north of Florida avenue
which are difficult to describe in letter.
but which we would be pleased to sketch
out for you, If you will send us a copy Of
the large scale map. The sudden curve In
street lines at this point appear to us to
be awkward and out of place in the midst
of completely rectilinear system
Sudden Curves.
Sheets II and -: We would prefer to
have School street run from Grant street
to Kenesaw street straight to the new
street east of the latter, with an angle at
Grant street; or, If this be not practicable,
to have it run straight through to Kene-
saw street, and divert the street east of
Kenesaw street. which seems to be 18TH
street, from Columbia road to the end Of
ScnOOl street, or, III TINS be not practicable,
we would prefer to have School street run
straight through to kenesaw street with
out any attempt to connect 1t with 18th
street, rather than to have the very sud-
den reverse curves shown on the map.
Sheets 13 and IA: We believe that you
have already adopted our suggestion that
Connecticut avenue at the corner of Cal
iforria avenue would be cut through on
straight line. We are strongly of the
opinion that the additional cost of land
finQ mr.
compared with the improvement in the line
OF so important an avenue
Connecticut Avenue.
"Sheet Is: The crook in Connecticut ave-
nue. at KaloraIna avenue is, in our opinion,
extremely awkward, and 1t would be worth
all that 1t would cost in land and damages
to straighten 1t out. If this can be done
by starting Connecticut avenue at Column
bia road little further north, so that the
south line will Just clear the large house
at the corner of Wyoming avenue it would
be the best way that We can now suggest.
The junction of the new piece of Connecti-
cut avenue with the part already graded
west Of Rock creek would of course re-
main at the same point. 1t would be only
the east end Of this piece which would
have to be moved. 1t seems to us that 1t
would be preferable to adopt the grade of
the present asphalted street north of Kalo-
rama avenue as far as necessary on the
new piece of Connecticut avenue rather
than attempt to improve the grade on the
new Connecticut avenue north of Kalorama
avenue to the great injury of its directness
and dignity Of effect.
1T seems to us that 18th street ought to
be extended to Ontario avenue more d.
rectly from It's present junction with Gin
cinnat street, so as to serve more ron
veniently for the future street railway
which will be needed to accommodate
visitors to the National Geological Park
Rock Creek Park and adjoining lands.
THE corner of 2lst street and Quincy
street would better be rounded off. The
curved street in extension of 18th street
beyond Ontario avenue should 1t seems to
us, be made to connect more directly with
18th street. Park road 1t seems to us,
should be extended to Pierce's Mil road,
only curved, and a small piece Of private
land which would be left between IL and
Rock Creek Park should be taken into the
latter, in order to avoid the unseemly
backing of houses upon the park. The
land west of 10th street from Blagden
Mill road northward to Alabama avenue
ought certainly to be added to Rock Creek
Park. 1t seems to us that some scheme
might be devised for carrying the pro-
posed street from Summit avenue north
ward to the corner of 10th street and Ken
yon street without the excessively abrupt
curves now contemplated, in order that the
line may be better adapted for use by
street car line.
Broad Parking.
your general idea of a broad parkway
to connect Rock Creek Park with the Sol
diers Home, along Piney branch and
Spring Lane. is a most excellent one. 1t
would be worth what it will cost an aid
in preventing the spread of great con-
fagrations, IL for no other reasons, but in
considering its subdivisions into roads,
walks, bride paths, and so forth, it seems
to us that 1t would be a great advantage
to widen Piney branch parkway from 22O
to $50 feet, and Spring Lane parkway from
100 to 2UO feet We suggest the following
subdivisions for Piney branch parkway:
Beginning at the north side-Reservation
10 feet; walk, ~ feet; planting, ~ feet: side
road, 10 feet: reservation for planting and
creek ~ feet; ride, ~ feet; planting, 10
feet: drive, 50 feet; planting, 10 feet; walk,
Is feet; reservation, % feet. For Spring
Lane parkway we would advise the follow
ing subdivisions: Beginning at the north
side-Reservation, % feet; walk Is feet:
planting, 10 feet; drive, 40 feet; planting.
10 feet; ride, ~ feet; planting, 10 feet; side
road, 10 feet; planting, 10 feet; walk, 10
feet; reservation, ~ feet You will observe
that we suggest that the pleasure drive
should change from the south side on
Piney branch parkway to the north side
on Spring Lane parkway.
There are good reasons of convenience
and topography for having the wide road
on the south side in Piney branch park
way, but on Spring Lane parkway, at the
season of the year when there will be most
pleasure driving. we think that the north