The San Francisco call., 1906-04-03
COMP ANY GETS
THE FRANCE H|SE
Supervisors Finally Pass
Ordinance for Branch OF
the Ocean Shore System
ROUTE TO BE CHANGED
Tracks Will Run on Potrero
Avenue Instead of York
and Hampshire Streets

The Board of Supervisors last night
finally passed the ordinance granting
to the Ocean Shore Railway Company
"a franchise to operate an electric road
connecting. with its main line at Army
and Vermont streets and running along
certain streets to a terminal at the cor
ner of Twelfth and Market streets. The
only vote recorded. against the grant
was that of Supervisor McGushin.
AS told exclusively in The Call of
Sunday March 25, the ordinance
granting the franchise was so amended
that the route of the road is to be
changed from York and Hampshire
streets to Potrero avenue, between
Twenty-fifth and Mariposa streets, in
Difference to the protests of property
owners on the two first-named streets
which were considered too narrow for
a railroad. The officials of the COM
panyS explained that it was not in
tended to run freight cars on this
branch, which was designed solely for
through passenger trains, but as some
of the protestants were obdurate it was
deemed advisable in the interest of
harmony to run the road on Potrero
avenue, which is 100 feet in width.
Supervisor Rea said the conditions OF
the grant of franchise, which is for
term of fifty years, are such that the
municipal ownership policy of the
board has been safeguarded. One of
these conditions is that the city may
use at any time any part or the whole
of the four miles of tracks of the road
in the city limits free of any cost to
the municipality. This provision was
inserted in case the city should ever
build a cross town line in connection
with the Geary street road to run
down Franklin street and connect with
the Ocean Shore branch at Twelfth
and Market streets.
At the end of the term of the fran
chise all the stationary property of the
road, including the rails and roadbed,
becomes the property of the city. The
feed wires are to be placed under
ground and the poles on Twelfth street
will be ornamental and have electric
arc lights.
ROUTE OF THE ROAD.
From Mariposa street the road will
run to Florida street, crossing the
tracks of the Southern Pacific Company
by an overhead crossing, and thence
along to Twelfth and Harrison streets
and along Twelfth to Market street.
The company filed a waiver and sur
render of its rights to run on York
and Hampshire streets.
The Mayor at once signed the ordin-
ance.
In return for the waiver described
the board passed to print an amended
ordinance granting the Ocean Shore
Company the right to use Potrero
avenue.
Supervisor Gallagher stated that the
grant of the franchise was in favor of
a local enterprise which would mark
an epoch in the history of San Fran
cisco and help in its development. CAL
lagher submitted an amendment pro-
viding that the city reserves the right
to grant the use of the company's
tracks on Potrero avenue to any other
street railroad company that may so
desire.
ACTION is APPROVED.
After the vote had been announced
there was quite a demonstration of ap-
proval from the large crowd that was
present.
Property owners petitioned the board
to compel the United Railroads and the
Ocean Shore Railroad to cross
Onondaga avenue at a grade eight feet
above the present tracks of the United
Railroads, but this matter is one for
the City Engineer to determine.
The amendment to the ordinance
regulating the maintenance of electrical
signs so as to permit letters of glass
to be used therein was passed to print.
The board adjourned to meet next
Monday at 2:30 p. m, when bids for
the reconstruction of the Geary street
road as a municipal system will be re-
/