Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-24
BR|CHTWOOD AVENUE
Remarkable Condition of Main
District Thoroughfare.
ALMOST IMPASSABLE
PROVIDING FOR EVERY TRUNK
ROAD EXCEPT THIS. c.,1
Only $4,000 Needed to Put the Sur
face in Good Condition ac
Money Available.

Brightwood avenue, that great artery Of
travel to the northern limits Of the Dis
trict, whose tributaries lead directly from
the local center of population; the thor
oughfare that for three-quarters Of CEN
fury has been the great highway to and
from one Of the most populous counties of
the adjoining state of Maryland, and prop
erly considered a roadway of first magni-
tude and Importance, has been allowed by
the District of Columbia authorities to
lapse into the most remarkable condition
known to any modern plan Of roadway
maintenance.
For the want of the comparatively pal
try sum of 5000 this thoroughfare, along
the most heavily Travelled section, is al
lowed to remain in some places almost i'm
passable, while for mile and one-third
the eastern half of the roadway is not
merely rough and irregular, but positively
dangerous to any one driving over it, espe
cially at night. In some places along this
stretch sand and mud have accumulated to
a depth that makes this principal county
thoroughfare of the national capital suffer
in compa rison with the neglected paths Of
travel in the poorest commemorative.
Along this stretch property owners have
been heavily assessed for the laying of
the latest style of granite curbs, only to
| have the curb buried beneathsthe accumu-
lation of sand and mud, that becomes with
every rain a quagmire.
At the District building, when the local
authorities are confronted with the In
| disputable conditions existing along Bright
wood avenue from Richmond street to the
village of Brightwood the excuse Is offered
| that this thorOughfare has already had
| large sum of money spent upon it; that 1t
| has been and still is in a state of transit
ton Some years ago the double trolley
| tracks extending the length of the roadway
were relocated, being changed from the side
| to the center of the highway. 1t Is claimed
| that since this change was made the i'm
| proyement of the thoroughfare has been
| constant and commensurate with the
| amount of travel upon It, The gratifying
| but not surprising assurance is given that
| the work of Improvement is not yet COM
| pleted That this may be true the residents
| of Brightwood and beyond and all who
| travel the road either for business pur-
| poses or in pursuit of recreation can well
hope The engineer department announces
! with much show of virtue that Brightwood
| avenue is now being improved by the eX-
| tension of the Belgian block granite pave
ment from its former terminus to the Rock
| Creek Church road, or the point where
| New Hampshire avenue extended now in
tersects the older thoroughfare.
| improvements will be made right along
| as the office feels they are necessary is
| the reply given to interested parties who
apply at the District building for informa.
! ton as to when the conditions along
| BrightWood avenue are 10 DE Dettered-
Only Outlet.
The attention of the District authorities
has been called to the fact that Bright
wood avenue is the only means of travel
| to the north for a section of the District
| extending from the 14th street road on the
west to the Bladensburg road on the east.
| Even the latter thoroughfare leads so much
to the east that it is not available for
northerly travel to any great extent. The
| Commissioners are also told that this vast
section of the District has known no street
extensions for the past seventy-fve years.
At that time the BriShtwood avenue of to-
day was an important thoroughfare.- 1t was
the only thoroughfare, in TACT, to the north
eastern edge of the District. Now, after
| three-uuarters of century have elapsed
after the section has been cultivated. set
tied and thickly built up, accommodating
many thousands of the Districts residents
Brightwood avenue still remains the sole
| means of communication with the city OF
| Montgomery county, as the trend of ones
travels may be. While the improvement OF
the roadway is of primary importance to
the residents of the District who must use
it for driving purposes, 1t Is also of vita
Importance to all householders, for from
Montgomery county comes much of tho
best and a large share of the whole of the
country produce placed upon the local mar
ket. The only way the farmers may bring