The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-04
Resolution Directs That
Tracks of r., F. & ?.
Be Removed.
MAY HASTEN PLAN
FOR BIG STATION
Vonderlehr, Its Patron, Declares
That No Other City of Rich
mond's Size Would Retard
Business Growth or Permit
Continued Menace to
Human Life.

Removal Of all steam railway tracks
from IVES; Broad ~treet IL proposed
in a resolution offered In the Common
council last night By Councilman a. L
yonderlehr. and REFER d TO The Com
mttne on streets. The resolution
reads:
s.whereas the growth Of Broad
street westward and the beaut. OF
that thoroughfare is grsstly inteF-
fered with by the presence or steam
railroad tracks Oh that street and Inc
constant use OF that street BY the
Richmond. FredcTicksburG and PCt0-
mac Railroad Compauy;
.-Thsr.fore be Il resolved. That the
Committee on Streets be and they are
hereby directed 70 investigate and re-
Dor; upon the propriety OF requirins
the removal % such tracks from saio
street. and 70 report their conclusions
10 the Council
Say. city stands Alone.
The patron OF the resolution OK
.r.sses the opinion lhat no other city
a the world Of RShmond's sizs and
,nnortsnce would allow stearl railway
rains on it, prineiNl business TAO
oughfa-e. or permit grade crossings
a, such points along Belyiderc stree.
a. FRANKLIN. Grace. Main and cary
Streets where human life - en-
aanzered by each passing train
Jus, what bearing the resolution
may have on the tentative plans for
new union passenger station in Rich
nnond could no; be ascertained. II II
presumed that the Richmond. Fred
ericksburg and Potomac Railroad COM
many would surrender whatever legal
rights IL may have in Broad and Belv'-
dere streets in return for sucn track
concessions as may be needed IN cor
lection with the new station plan.
Union station Pians-
The Chamber of Commerce has
pIaced itself on record as fayoring a
great union station in the valley no"
occupied by the Seaboard ana Chesa-
peake and Ohio lines. In which event
Richmond. Fredericksburg and Poto-
mac trains would be brought in along
annroximsteIy the route down the val
lev OF Bacon's Quarter Branch now
followed by the Seaboard- The Rich
rnond Fredericksburg and Potomac mas
suggested tentatively the erection OF
a new passenger station for itself and
the Atlantic Coast Line in the FAR west
End. and is known TO have acquired
large tracts Of property in the neigh
meath Road. The railway company also
controls the Hermitage Club grounds,
which have been suggested as a site TOT
a station In the event OF erection oil
a West End station trains 20 ana from
the South could use the Bet Line
tracks. making the track In Broad ana
Eelyfdere Streets no longer necessary
CRY Can Control Operation.
Although the Richmond. Fredericks-
hure and Potomac Railroad claims
Derpetual franchise right TO the use
81 BROAD and Beividere Streets, grant
ed at the time when the city olo not
extend westward. and when monroe
Park was a cornfield, IL Is understood
that the City Attorney viii hold that
The c,,v has ample authority to pre-
scribe the mnaner Of the use OF such
xtreets For instance. IL might take
the step recently taken by many North
ern cities, Of allowing only eiectric
locomotives within the city limits. and
IL might further require that all tracks
be placed underground so as not 10 IN
re-fere with the street surface
Tn. cost Of this latter. il is believed.
would be practically prohibitive. though
tracks were placed underground In
washington in connection with con-
struction of the Union Station there
Has Been Discussed
while never definitely before the
Council in the form Of resolution, II -
no, the FIRST time that the removal OF
the offending tracks has been suggest
I'd. ON June 10, 1904. at tirae wheD
there had been little development oi
Broad street west Of Eliza StSF'" p.
Attorney Pollard gave a written opin-
ion to John y Minor. then SUBJ .iair NAB
Of the Council Committee on streets
in which the City Attorney held tha'
while the city could not require the re-
movaI of the tracks 81 the main hne'
vet the Council could impose reeuia-
lions as to location. manner and MODE
Of construction-and can controi the
manner and mode Of operating cars IN
such tracks-provided the regulations
imposed are reasonable under the cir
rumstnces and not imposed arbitrarily
or cspricioUsly
The Richmond. Fredericksburg ana
Potomac owns the Broad street tracks.
while those in Beividere street belong
20 what is called the Connection Com
rauv.- owning the line between Eloa
ana Byrd street stations. Tho latter
IL leased to the Richmond. Frederfcks-
burg and Potomac. but n IL Is the in
,e-t Of Nr. Vonderlehr to include the
r,.fviderc street line. the scope Of the
resolution would be accordingly cx-
tended