Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-19
TRACKS TO STATION PLAZA
CHAIRMAN SMITHS REPORT ON
THE PENDING BILL.
Considerations That Dominated in
Selecting the Routes-The Cross
Town Line Extension.

Chairman Smith of the House committee
on the District of Columbia has completed
his report on the Union station perma-
nent trackage bill, which will go before
the House tomorrow Some of his COM
ments on the bill. the details of which
have been previously published in The
Star, are of considerable interest Mr..
Smith devOtes a paragraph to explaining
the radical changes made by the House
District committee in the former bill He
says:
In determining the necessary altera-
tions and extensions of the existing street
railway lines. in order to provide for the
shortest, most direct and practicable
routes to and from the new Union station
the committee has been deeply impressed
with the necessity not merely of consid-
erlng present conditions. but also of an
ticipating. so far as possible. the future
growth and development of the several
quarters of the city. The committee also
realized that whatever lines of trackage
were to be adopted they should be of
permanent nature and that. accordingly,
no extension or alteration of the existing
lines should be recommended unless it ap-
peared to be the best that could be adopt
ed under all the circumstances and con-
fictlng interests. AS aids in arriving at
proper conclusions the committee granted
hearings to the officers of the several
street railways, to accredited representa-
tives of citizens associations and to in
dlvldual citizens and property owners in
terested. AS a result the committee has
reached conclusions differing both from
the original recommendation of the Dis
trict Commissioners and from the conclu-
sion of the Senate. Hence this proposed
substitute.
The Crosstown Line.
with reference to the crosstown line
provided for, Mr.. Smith says that 1.-The
committee is agreed in asking for this
service for the reason that at the. hearings
before the committee it was developed
that this extension would accommodate
at least 100000 people living in that por-
ton of the city as we'll as the people of
other portions of the city coming into the
east. northeast and southeast. We believe
that the city has so far developed that a
crosstown line east and west and north
and south such as is provided for should
be granted to the people, and the CAPITAL
traction Company has been authorized
TO construct this work. for the reason
that the representatives Of the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company stated
at hearings before the committee that ii
the company were authorized to construct
the line it would be unable to do so at
this time. while, on the contrary, the
representatives of the Capital Traction
Company said they would be glad to be
requested and authorized to extend the
cOmpanyS lines provided.
Selection of New Jersey Avenue.
The report lays emphasis upon the
Florida avenue extension and says, re-
specting the service down New Jersey
avenue, that "it affords for the people in
the northwest section of the city a short
er route to the Union station than any
other suggestion. That avenue is broad
and will require widening for one block
only, which will be an improvement, as
the avenue will then be of uniform width
from Florida avenue to Massachusetts
avenue" The committee is put on record
as preferring the New Jersey avenue
route to the North Capitol street route
proposed in the Senate bill. for the reason
that the lines Of the Washington Railway
and Electric Company are already laid on
North Capitol street and the committee
says that experience demonstrates that
where two different railway companies
use the same tracks for any considerable
distance there are times when the cars
of one company are delayed by reason of
defects or damages which. unavoid-
able. resulting in tying up the cars on
both lines.
The committees report also emphasizes
the provision requiring the Metropolitan
Coach Company, which now operates an
tiquated rolling wrecks on 10th street, to
substitute motor vehicles within a year
from the passage of the trackage bill.