The times., 1899-10-08
EXTENSION OF HIGHWAYS
Proposed Improvements Which
Present Some Problems.
Difficulty Encountered in the Con-
templated Widening of Bright
Interfere With Passage of WaE-
ons-0ther Obstacles in the Way.

| number of the prominent residents of
Brightwood have notified the Commission
ers that they will do all in their power TO
assist them in the widening of Brightwood
Avenue. The project has been under dis
/ cussion for long time and work on it has
! finally been ordered. The widening of this
! avenue opens an interesting question to
| the Commissioners and the residents Of
| the section of the District through which it
! passes. For a number of years this thor
/ oughfare has been the principal inlet to
| the city for the farmers Of Montgomery
county, Maryland 1t is the only one
which affords them quick means of reach
| ing all points of the city. The road here
tofore has only been about fifty feet wide,
with a double street car track running
along one side.
The railroad was absorbed by the syndi-
cate controlling a number of other roads
in the District about six months ago.
Among other changes the tracks were re-
moved from the side of the road and placed
exactly in the centre. AT the same time
the space between the inner rails has been
| widened by several feet, thus cutting down
the driveway to such an extent that there
/ is hardly room for an ordinary country
wagon TO pass between a car and the curb.
This state of affairs was brought TO the
attention of the Commissioners. The fact
that the road was originally much narrower
than the law allows Influenced them TO or
der its widening TO sixty feet, allowing
twenty feet on each side for the driveway
and twenty feet for the car tracks An OBJ
stacle which will be encountered in the
widening of the roadway is that a number
of houses have been built along the street
on the old building lines. In some cases
these will have to be moved.
Originally, ii was the intention of the
Commissioners to widen the street to nine
ty feet, but TO do this would necessitate
the removal of a great many houses and
would cost an immense sum for condemna-
tion proceedings and TO pay awards. In
addition to this it would require great
deal of time to get the matter into shape
| to rush the improvements through, and the
extensions are needed Immediately.
The Commissioners have considered the
project of extending Fourteenth Street be-
yond Whitney Avenue on the lines laid
down in the street extension plans. Be
yond Whitney Avenue this street, which
is known as Piney Branch road, is as
narrow, circuitous, and crooked as an or
dinary country road can be. 1t is the only
road except Brightwood Avenue which
runs into the country around Brightwood,
and affords means of getting to the city.
Between Brightwood and the city along
this thoroughfare is a great deal of real
estate which would be improved if Four
teenth Street was extended. Persons own
ing property along its lines will not build
until the street extension is made, as they
cannot tell where the street will enter
their property, and they viii not run the
risk of putting up costly houses only to
have them torn down again. In addition
TO this, property owners believe that some
provision should be made for the extern
sion of the street railroad line beyond its
present terminus. 1t is understood that
the railroad company is ready to build the
extension as soon as the street is straight
ened out and the roadway is opened.
A number of the property owners in the
vicinity of Brightwood, along the line of
the proposed extensions, have combined in
their cfforts to hurry the improvements de-
sired. AS yet they have not decided
whether they would prefer to have Four
teenth or Thirteenth Street extended, but
it is probable that the improvement of the
latter viii be left until some future date.