Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-30
Commissioners Urge Electric
Railway to the District Line.
FOR THE DILLINGHAM; BILL
Road Would Run From the Connect
cut Avenue Bridge.
ADJOINING LAND ASSESSED
Provision Made for Use of Capital
Traction Tracks on Calvert
Street Bridge. 8

Again recommending that the cost OF
building street railway extensions into
undeveloped sections be provided
through the assessment of adjoining
land Denoted by the improvements
recommendation that featured their re-
cent report to Congress dealing with
the local street railway situation-the
Commissioners of the District in a re-
port today to Chairman Gallinger OF
the Senate District committee urge
favorable action. provided minor
amendments are adopted. on the bill of
Senator Dillingham; OF Vermont to ex-
tend the lines OF the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company from the
Connecticut Avenue bridge to the Dis
trict line.
THE Commissioners recommend that the
extension under present consideration he
built concurrently with an assessment of
benefits and that the assessments be sp-
piled to the cost OF the road says the
report. They submit no amendment to
the bill to cover this method inasmuch as
such an amendment would require great
study and would be of some length More
over. 1t would doubtless be better to
amend the code of the District OF Column
bia. and then follow procedure OF gem
eral application in this and similar cases.
The bill calls for a doubIe-track ex.
tension from the north end of the Con-
nectcut venue bridge west on Calvert
street to Cleveland avenue, northwest
on Cleveland avenue to 34th street, north
on 3ith street to Macomb street west
on Macomb street to Massachusetts ave.
nue. and northwest on Massachusetts, ave-
nue. to the District line. 1t further author
Of the tracks OF the Capital Traction
Company from the intersection of 18th
street and Columbia road, along Calvert
street to the north end of the Connecti-
cut Avenue bridge.
The report says:
The extension proposed by the bill 10
deemed desirable by the Board of Com
missfoners to the end OF afording rail-
way accommodation and facilities to the
several sections traversed. the develop
ment Of which is now retarded, and in
some cases essentially estopped, by rea-
son OF inaccessibility. The topography
Of the route described. although some
what difficult, Is fairly suitable for the
proposed extension"
In recommending an assessment for
Dement'S to cover the cost of building the
extension, the Commissioners, in their re-
port, include the reference to this subject
which was contained In their recent re-
port to Congress on the street railway
| situation in the District.
Removes Overhead Wires on Bridge.
Amendments to the bill offered by the
Commissioners provide that the Capital
Traction Company shall substitute the
underground system for the present over
head system, from the east end Of Cal
vert Street bridge to Connecticut avenue.
and that the duties imposed upon the
railway companies by the act may be
enforced by the Commissioners of the
District in the name OF the District by
mandamus or other legal or equitable
remedy.
The route proposed in the bill, accord
ing to the Commissioners, is 1000 feet
longer than would be necessary IL the
route were permitted to traverse the Con-
necticut Avenue bridge. The District
heads suggest the desirability of the
usage OF Connecticut Avenue bridge in
the extension of the companys lines
The bill provides change in the high
way plan to relocate Calvert street west
OF Connecticut avenue, and authorizes the
condemnation of land for the proposed
extension of the company's lines. The
Commissioners say that the condemnation
of the highways is necessary as a pre-
liminary to the railway construction, as
the streets named are not now public
highways.
Proposed Loop Favored.
The Commissioners today also trans
mitted to Chairman Gallinger of the
Senate District committee a favorable
report, based on the contingency that
certain amendments are adopted, to the
bill providing for the extension OF the
underground system Of the Washington
- a