Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-19
Commissioners Report on Car
lin Bill Providing for
New Structure.
WOULD PLACE THE COST
ON U. S. GOVERNMENT
Recommend Collection of Tolls as
Means of Reimbursement-Pres-
ent Conditions Noted.

The District Commissioners today SEM
TO Congress a favorable report on the
bill of Representative Carlin Of Virginia
providing for the construction of bridge
across the Potomac river to replace the
Aaueduct bridge, at a cost not to exceed
81. 10000.
Such a structure is needed. say the
District heads as the existing bridge Is
INADEQUATE for present traffic. They be-
lieve that the cost should be borne en-
tirely by the federal government.
Referring to the present congested trar-
1ic conditions. the Commissioners say:
THE roadway and sidewalk are too
narrow and the west sidewalk Is in such
close proximity to the street car tracks
that pedestrians using it must exercise
great caution to avoid danger from pass
ing cars. The inconvenience of the west
sidewalk is such that a large majority
of the pedestrians use the east one. with
the result that there is practically but
one serviceable sidewalk on the bridge.
Conditions at North Approach.
The conditions at the north approach
to the bridge. at 36th and M streets. are
decidedly Objectionable. and because of
the congestion existing at this point
there is not sufficient accommodation for
vehicular and pedestrian traffic, or for
the terminals of the two street railways
at 36th and NJ streets.
1T Is not practicable to increase the
accommodations at this point owing to
Typographical conditions. There can
never be but one outlet from this end
of the bridge toward the city-namely,
the existing one along NJ street-as the
grades are such that no street can De
opened to the north.
The Commissioners are not prepared
to say, with the information at hand,
whether the proposed location is the
the District and that portion of Virginia
in the vicinity Of the government reser-
vations at Fort Myer and Arlington.
However. IL the question before Con-
gress now is merely the replacement Of
the AQueduct bridge by one in the i'm
mediate vicinity, the proposed legislation
will accomplish this in a most satisfac-
tory manner.
Regarded as Federal Bridge.
The bridge is designed primarily to
afford a connection between the federal
capital and the adjacent state. and 1t is
necessary for the purpose Of the govern
ment to connect the capital with i'm
portant government reservations across
the river. II is believed proper. there
fore. that it should be primarily federal
structure, and that cost of its construc-
ton should be borne by the federal gov
ernment. which should, however, obtain
a reimbursement in part by charging for
it's uses as is now done in the case OF the
Highway bridge.
THE state of Virginia and the District
OF Columbia, both of which will beneht
by the construction of the bridge, will in
directly bear certain proportions of the
cost IL tolls are charged for the use of
the bridge by the street car companies
which proportion would be based directly
upon the use of the structure by their
respective citizens Such distribution
Of Charges is believed to be more equitable
than any arbitrary division between the
federal government, the District OF Co
lumbia and the state of Virginia"