Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-28
WIDTH OF B|IHSTREET
Reduction From ) Fifty tof Forty
Feet is Opposed.
AN EXECUTIVE AVENUE
DONORS OF LAND FOR EXTENSION
STATE THEIR VIEWS.
They Argue That the Improvement
Appropriation Can Not Be
So Used.

The proposition of the Commissioners to
lessen the roadway. of i6th street extended
from fifty to forty feet beyond a certain
point in order to make the appropriation
for its Improvement secured from the last
Congress extend further than otherwise,
has aroused the opposition Of those resi-
dents of the vicinity who were largely In
strumental in securing the donation Of
lands and the provision Of funds for the
extension of the street. In addition to put
ting the street through Mount Pleasant
those most active in the enterprise obtained
the donation of lands to the District line
from Piney branch, all but a few of the
necessary parcels being given outright to
the District for this purpose. Their ex-
pectation was that in the Improvement of
the thoroughfare the roadway would be
maintained, at least through Mount Pleas
ant. at fifty feet. the street itself, from
building line to building line, remaining at
100 feet, as in the city proper. The Com
misSonerS, however, are inclined to carry
this width only to Morris street, short
distance north of Florida avenue. and be-
yond that point to lay the curbs forty feet
apart, so that the paved portion now laid
may extend to a greater distance The
matter is not definitely. determined. the En-
gineer Commissioner having taken it under
advisement Meanwhile the residents Of
the affected section are earnestly discussing
the situation.
Mr. Thomas Blagden. who did large
part of the work in securing the donations
that added four miles. from Piney branch
to the District line. to the length of 18th
street. said to a Star reporter: Speaking
for the donations Of my family and myself,
which amounted to twenty acres Of land.
the general impression of all donors who
contributed for the extension Of this street
was that it would be extended with at least
the same width of roadway that existed in
the city, and that very few people would
have signed the donations IL any other idea
had been suggested" Mr. Blagden further
said that if the curbing is now set at the
width of forty feet instead of fifty feet it
will be extremely difficult in the future 10
have a change made to the greater width,
and to adopt even temporarily the lesser
width will minimize the Importance and
availability of the street. He suggested
that while this is not to be rapid transit
street in the nature of having car lines ON
lied and developed. all leading highways
should be constructed with view to this
fact, and should be widened rather than re-
duced from the old standards. Mr.. Blag-
den stated further that any one familiar
with the growth of the city would remem-
Der that thirty years ago there were not
more than five six houses from Thomas
Circle out to Piney branch on the line of
14th street; that this fact alone illustrates
the rapidity of the growth of the city and
might not be appreciated by any one who
did not actually see itttahe place. For this
reason he argued that to make this street
narrow at first with al view to opening it
at a greater width later would really cost
more In the end than to make it wide to
would have the advantages of using the ad-
ditioDal width y4l24sS