Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-20
CITIZENS FILE A PROTEST
OBJECT TO DECREASE IN WIDTH OF
BLADENSBURG ROAD,
Hearing Given n Delegation Repre.
sentfng Extreme Northeast Sec
ton of District.

The District Commissioners today granted
a hearing to delegation of citizens Iesid-
ing in the extreme northeast section of the
city and District who called to protest
against the proposed reduction of the width
of Bladensburg road during the coming
Improvement of that thoroughfare. The
delegation included Messrs. A. NJ. Raymond,
George w Holland, L. ID. Walter, Nicholas
Auth, John B. Miller, Santus Auth, Will
liam II. Ernest, j. J. Tyree, jeremiah Wilt
and Mr.. Jacobs.
Provision for the improvement of Bladens-
burg road was made in the District appro-
priation bill of June 6, 1900 the amount set
aside for the work being $1,000, to be used
in paving. In preparing to improve the
roadway the Commissioners have had in
contemplation the reduction of its width
from ~ feet 6 inches, the present measure
ment, to "a feet In the center of the road
1t is proposed to lay strip of asphalt ten
feet wide, with twelve feet of granite
blocks on either side. This style of paving
was adopted in the Improvement of the
Benning road, and it is stated has proved
very satisfactory. BY reducing the width of
/ the roadway. the Commissioners believe
they will enable the surface division to
extend the improvements further than If
the wider width was maintained. and at the
same time will give a greater amount of
parking space in front of the property along
the thoroughfare.
Mr.. A. NJ. Raymond introduced the dele
CATION of northeast residents, and was the
first speaker of the hearing today. Mr..
Raymond declared he had no personal in
terest in the matter apart from the public
spirit he was proud to possess. He had in
terested himself in the matter solely for
the purpose of doing all he could to benefit
the whole northeast section. The people in
the vicinity of the roadway, he declared,
want its full width maintained, and they
are willing to sacrifice their private rights
in the matter of increased parking space
for the public good in preserving wider
roadway. a narrower roadway than the
present Mr. Raymond said, would tend to
increase the number of accidents. He
spoke of a recent accident he witnessed on
the Benning road.
All object to the Change.
Mr.. George w. Holland spoke next. He
said that he had personally consulted prac-
tically all of the property owners along the
Bladensburg road from H street to the
District line, and, without an exception, all
favored the maintenance of the present
width. He spoke of the extensive use of
the Bladensburg road for funerals in con-
nection with the Mount Olivet cemetery,
and said that one occasion as many as
eighteen funerals had passed along the
thoroughIare and returned in the space of
a few hours Every week day there are
several funeral professions along the road
way. There is a large traffic of market
wagons, hay wagons and general hauling
over the road at all hours and there should
be no chance for congestion. All were
agreed. he said, that il is better to have the
wider roadway. even If the improvements
are confined to a shorter distance than
would be the case if the roadway were re-
duced.
DR.. L. D. Walter and Nicholas Auth also
spoke, urging the maintenance of the wider
roadway.
Commissioner Macfarland, as president of
| the board, informed the gentlemen present
at the hearing that the Comm issioners
would give proper consideration to their
statements in the disposition of the matter