The San Francisco call., 1897-03-24
WILL RE MOVE ALL
UNUSED RAILS
Mayor Phelan Has Called
an Important Con-
ference.
Miles of Useless Streetcar Track
to Be Done Away With
at Once.
If tie Companies Will Not Act the
City Will-Stockto Street
Rails Torn Up.

Mayor Phelan, assisted by the property
owners of this City, intends to make de-
termlned effort to remove all of the unused
street-railway tracks that now cumber the
streets of this City, and to this end sn
important conference has been called, at
which the matter will be discussed.
Some time ago Mayor Phelan began to
investigate the matter of unused car
tracks, because of complaints from prop
erty-owners, and learned that there were
several miles of them in San Francisco.
Then he called upon Superintendent of
Streets Ambrose to state the exact local.
ity and extent of the idle rails. The mas
ter of the streets enumerated them as
follows:
Army street, from Bryant to San
Bruno road.
Potrero avenue, from Ten.h street to
Twenty-fourth.
Fell street, from Market to Franklin,
thence on Franklin to Oak, thence on
Oak to Stanyan.
Stockton street, from Ellis to Geary.
Stockton street, from Post to Geary.
Post street, from Stoc kton to Geary.
Broderick street, from Oak to Ellis,
thence to Devisadsro.
Ellis street. from Devisadero to HYDE
Intersection of Turk and Market
streets.
Taylor street, from Golden Gate ave-
nue. to Geary street.
lush street, from Battery to westerly
termination.
Twelfth street, from Mission to Mar
ket.
Brannan street, from Third to Eighth.
Tenth street, from Howard to Potrero
avenue.
Twenty-fifth street, from Utah to Ne
braska.
Fell street, from Baker to Devisadero.
stanyan street, from Haight to Frede-
rick.
Market street, from Sixth to Eighth.
Eighth street, from Market to Folsom.
After ascertaining by whom the various
tracks we're laid the Mayor wrote to each,
requesting conference at an early date.
He will point out TO the companies the
laws which require the use of tracks to
render franchises valid and will ask the
owners to either use the rails or take
them up. In the event of failure or re-
fusal TO do this the Board of Supervisors
Will be requested to order the rails sum-
marily removed, as was done in the case
of Stockton street, from Ellis to O'Far-
reIl
Superintendent of Streets Ambrose
made short work of the track men toned
yesterday morning. He was not aware
until o'clock that he had been in
structed by the board to tear up the rails,
but when the matter came to his ears he
acted with decision and dispatch.
Within an hour fifty laborers were as
sembled on the ground and a vigorous
application Of picks and crowbars soon
raised the rails from their ancient bed
They were carried to the curbstone and
later TO the Corporation Yard.
At a late hour Mayor Phelan received
a request from the railroad company to
have the rails carted to the railroad shops,
and he consented that this be done, pro-
vided the company would agree not to
put them back whence they were taken.
at is high time this nuisance and eye-
sore of idle rails cum bering the CITY
streets was done away with" said Mayor
Phelan.
The laws governing the franchises
under which the companies operate con-
template the active use of the rails and the
abandonment and removal of the tracks
when they are past their days of service
San Francisco must keep up with the
march of progress, and it cannot do so
when such practices are allowed to 60 on.
The City government will confer within q
few days with the companies and try to
reach some amicable arrangement regard
ing the removal of the rails. II the COM
panies do not come to our way Of think
ing then the only remedy is to take them
up ourselves"