The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-06
.Ludtcrousi'.

S550 0OO!" These and a dozen sim i liar expressions were voiced by the opposition when the matter of the extension of John street from Main to Water street, from West avenue to. Fairfield avenue, to widen the ex- tension to so feet and to abolish Wall street and extend Middle street at a width of 50 to the proposed John street extension were before the com mon council at a public hearing last night.
 Few tpresent were in sympathy with the. plan but many opposed it. The hearing was one of the largest ever held in the council chamber and a goodIy portion of those who appear ed in opposition were women.
 A. W. Burritt spoke in favor of the plan as did E. L. Graves, who said ed it. J. H. s. Jones was in favor of the extension of John street through West avenue to Park avenue AS to the remainder of the plan, he was not very keen for it. But botl- ing hot opp osition developed when Alderman MacF7ayden, who was pre- siding in the absence of Mayor Will son, called for those opposed to be heard.
 Those in favor were heard first and MT Burritt opened the ball by saying that the growing needs of Bridgeport required larger streets in the center of the city to care for traffic and it was the proper time to widen and ex- tend the street. In part he said:
 'eThe plan is one of very vital. inn portance. Bridgeport is growing very rapidly and there is congestion in the center as a result. John street will be an outlet to relieve this con- gestion. We have not a fine street in the center of the city and we A. AL future. Unless we make this inn provement nov it may be impossi- ble in the future. We can make it now without great expense. / If a single large building is built there this improvement will be impossible because of the cost
 B. l.. Graves spoke for the directors of the Bridgeport Business Mems as sociation, favoring the plan for the widening and extension of John street as made by City Engineer Terry. He said the Business Mems association had voted for the proposed improve ments. He said he would vote to bond the city for $1.000.0O0 if neces- sary to put the John street plan through.
 Tt is, time he said. flor the city l of Bridgeport to wake up and take advantage of the opportunity for inn proving conditions. . 7 J.sH. S. Jones said he approved of Plan on the street, which will give an 80 foot street west of West ave nue. The other plans, he said. avenue.
 c; D. Davis of the City Plan Com mission, read 9 statement in which l he said, his commission was not ready to give an opinion on the matter. He said the commission thought more | E,< n
 matter before it was settled. He also read a recommendation from John Nolen along the same lines.
 MT. Davis said State street and Fairfield avenue were the natural thoroughfare streets and na did not their place. J.. W. Drew said John street frcr1 West avenue to Broad 1 street would carry all traffic that it could have at it's present width for l the next 100 years.5 He advocated l the closing of Wall street on the 1tsouth side and make a plaza from l Wall street to- John street extension l from Main street to Water street. MT. Drew said the present plans were all l wrong and are the schemes of in- fants ands hiIdren-
 A communication from Lucy E and Charles E. IoughI f2voring the widen ling. of John street te 80 feet. City 1 Engineer Terry said the proposed Widening and extension should be 1 considered only from the effect it ] would have on relieving, the conges- 1 ton of traffic in the center of city I He said a 50 foot street would not I do this He said an so foot street with 50 foot roadway from Eark4 ave- | nue to Fairfield avenue would relieve n State street and Fairfield avenue of
 much vehicular traffic especially since the widened John street would be free of trolley tracks. He saic
 there was danger to pedestrians al pFesent-in in the congestion Of traffic in State street and Fairfield avenue. He said the matter. should be considered 1 from the point of future necessity l Attorney Robert G. DeForest ap- I peared in opposition to the plan fol
 the estate of David B, Nichols, owner ] of the property where T. l.. Watson
 & Co.,, Towe & Kohlmaier, HindIe
 drug store and John Beck & Son
 are located. He said his clients were
 opposed to any plan for widening. He
 said his clients wanted to keep theil 1 property but the proposed extension
 would wipe out their property. He
 said the proposed widening will cost
 at least $1,50O,0O0
 1 Attorney DeForest said there wa.
 no congestion of traffic in John street
 that it is as peaceful as a valley il 1 Maine" and after one passes tn
 Adams Express office one might a | well be on a back road in NeWtown. T. He said: This thing is funny in 2
 way because it is so perfectly rfdicu- lous.''
 wall street has been a thorough. fare for 100 years,'' said Attorney | Louis K. Gould who opposed bott kplans. tHThe proposed widening o1 John street sinks into insignificance
 beside the plan to abolish Wall stree1 at the snap of a finger. Wall stree is to Bridgeport what Wall street is to New York; He opposed the plans l Beardsley and others.
 l Mir Jones said: eff am not greatly mistaken some time ago this gentleman was in favor of extension 1 of John street from West avenue te Park avenue, now why has he chang.