The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-14
WEST END FIGHTS
STREET CAR PLANS
Bitter Opposition to Tracks on
Hanover or Stuart
Avenues
LENGTHY PETITIONS
BEING CIRCULATED
Residents Say They Prefer to
Walk Several Blocks Than to
Have Cars in Front
Of Homes.

A widespread protest is being
voiced by residents of Hanover and
Stuart avenues. in the West End,
against the granting of an extension
OF any street railway franchise that
will result in street cars running along
either of those thoroughtares
Petitions are being circulated among
the residents for signatures. These
petitions Will later be presented TO
council urging that the request OF the
Virginia Railway and Power Company
and of the Richmond and Henrico
Railway Company for extensions OF
franchises be refused Despite the
TACT that under present conditions 1t is
necessary tor the residents of these
thoroughfares to walk several blocks
In order TO take a street car that Will
bear them to the business district, II
is generally declared that the long
walk is preferable to he close proxi-
NIFTY OF street ears
Would lnjure Property.
The residents claim that to lay
tracks according to the plans of the
two street railway companies vii re-
suit In an enormous decrease in prop
erty values along the streets affected.
Also, they point out the fact that they
would be greatly Inconvenience and
subjected to untold annoyance as the
result of the digging operations neees-
sary In the laying OF tracks. Finally
they declare they do not wish to he
harassed by the ever present danger
OF having their children run over by
the street cars
II is an influential group of citizens
who are lighting the proposed extern
sion Of franchises and while they
have not yet concluded their pre-
itminary steps, they promise to bring
"a Fe. ,fI, l., Esk,
they think the latter body will be
unable TO overlook. Indeed, several
members of the council themselves
who live either on Stewart or Ham
over avenue are said To lee opposed
To the coming OF the street cars.
Notable among these, is President
Robert r, Whittet Jr of the board
OF aldermen Dir. whittet owns a
home on Hanover avenue. and de-
clarcs he does not want the street
cars to run out that thoroughfare. II
is improbable that he win sign IA
petition against the projected plans
OF the street railway companies. he
says, because of his political position
But he makes no secret of his OPP
position.
"Of course / don't want any street
ears cut there" he declared TO IA re-
porter for The NirEsHian II have not
been informed Of any concerted effort
on the part of my fellow residents.
and ! am not in a position To state
whether or not / Will Join actively in
the fight. But don't want any street
cars on Hanover avenue"
Secretary William II. Dahnev. of the
Chamber af Commerce, Is another
West End resident who does not want
the street ears. Then there are sew
erai city Hall officials. all opposed to
the plan, These, III not few In
stances. have refused TO sign the PEE
utions, on account of their positions.
but their sentiments as regards the
matter are an open secret,
Residents of both Hanover and Stu
art avenues are equally strenuous in
their efforts to thwart the plans Of the
street railway companies. All realize
that unless something is done tracks
viii probably be laid along one or the
other OF the two thoroughfares Ac-
eordingly neither side wishing 10 rid
itself of the street cars at the ex-
pense OF the other, the residents of the
two streets have conferred together
and agreed that they prefer that the
section remain as It is and to put up
with the present inadequate street car
facilities.
New Application Filed.
The opposition has been active since
the request for an extension nj fran
Gil at "a meeting of that body last week
More recently however. it has been
given an added impetus by the pre-
sentation of another request for an
extension of franchise made this time
by the Richmond and Henrico Railway
Company.
The proposed extension of tho lat
ter company begins at Fifth and Broad
streets. where the present line of the
company enters Broad. and extends
west along Broad to Meadow street
Up to this point the cars are 10 run
over the lines of the Virginia Railway
and Power Company, unless 1t Ia pre-
ferred that the Richmond and Henrico
Company construct new double tracks
on Broad street.
On Meadow street il is planned to
lay double track running southwark
TO Hanover avenue and Il single track
continuing on the east side of Meadow
street to Beverly street. and thence
west on the south side OF Beverly
street tn Sycamore street the single
track connecting the western track at
the corner of Hanover and Meadow
streets.
The line Is TO run along Hanover
street to Sycamore. thence to Beverly,
thence on double track 10 point
on or near Mulberry street. the north
ern track connecting with the track on
Sycamore street and the southern track
being continuance of the single track
on Beverly street.
In addition to these plans, the COM
pany asks permission TO lay such
tracks at the terminus as may be NEG
essary for switches and crossovers.
The old plans OF the Virginia Rail-
way and Power Company contemplate
the laying of tracks along Stuart ave.
nue..
City Engineer Boiling. in discussing
the opposition to the plans. declared
that protests are always to be ex-
pected In such cases. He Ia OF the
/ opinion. however, that the section In
question Is badly in need of better
street car service.