The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-02
SOUTHS|OE PEOPLE
PETITION FOR BRIDGE
Reasons Why I'm Additional structure
should BE Built Across james
River Are SET Out.

Determined that the responsible of
fieials Of the city shall know how
they feel ou the subject Of the lew
Southslde hFldE" question. tine people
Of South Richmond are circulating the
following petition. the committee IN
charge OF winch being headed by ].
Preston Carson, weIl-known at
-tnfHeA-
Here Is the petitions:
ITO the Honorable city Council,
city Of Richmond. Va.
Gentlemen:
I'VE, the undersigned property own
ers, TAX PAYERS ana citizens of Rich
mond. resident on the south side of
this ripet desire Ia respectfully call
your attention 10 the daily need which
exists and which Is rapidly growing
more evident and more urgent. for
increased and better facilities of in
terCommunication with the city
pr"ntr.
ACCORDING to the statistics recently
obtaeAeu- lue' population of the city
Of Richmond is about 80 900. of
~hjt.h approximately ne-fifth-that
is to say, about 80, 000--reside on the
southside, The physical conditions,
social relations. and business ties
which unite this not Uncomfortable
part of our POPULATION With That rest
dent on the north side are of the clos
est nature, and render daily intec-
Course imperative. The vast ma
jorIty of the men, VINO are tax pay
ers ana voters, resident on the south
side have business connections which
render heir daily presence In the city
imperative, and as AZ present situet-I
ed. the only approaches which are
available the two tnridgeH---one at
Fourteenth Street. and the other at
- at col
impose unreasona bic hardship. in CON
Fenience and loss Of valuable time
- going 10 and from their homes and
offices
We respectfully represent that the
t~o bridges above referred to. while
possibly sufficient TO meet tho re-
Q1iremeQts Of fifty years, ago whan
they were erected are now wholly In
adequate. AS Will be recognized, the
Fourteenth Street bridge is located at
tine extreme eastern end of the south
side population. and tar below even
the business center of the north
side. while the Ninth-Street bridge,
being within five hundred Yards of
the first. does not materially relieve
the situation. since the population on
both sides Of the river has grown.
and continues to grow West. and pre-
sents now upWaras of = mile of river
front, all within the city nmits, and
"a ,he main thickly built up on both
sides. hut with absolutely no means
of physical communication except the
two down town bridges referred to
We would respectfully call atten-
ton TO the fact that such a condition
II affairs is allowed to exist in no
other city in this country or abroad,
and that its existence in RiChpoHd
imposes not only ereat inconvenience
f,.I a .v4etY a{y,vy ha
continuance of which we most earnest
~ protest, any. nereDN respectfully
ask for such prompt relief as we feel
Ave d entitled to receive.
THE actual present demand for at
least ule centrally located bridge will
perhaps he aceentuated when atten-
ton is called to the fact that prob
ably four fifths of the entire popu
alton, and certainly an equally large
preponderance OF the social and civic
life on both sides of the river is west
of Ninth Street Under present con
ditions in order TO reach the CITY
Auditorium where, in the main, the
larger public assem- bla ges meet, resi-
dents of the Southside are now COM
PEELED to travel miles over devious
routes, which would be unnecessary
If a bridge were erected at point
nearer the center of population; and
exactly the same discomforts. incon-
yenieuce and loss of time would
thereby be avoided for our fellow citi-
zens across the river, when they visit
the park at Forest Hill The further
fact that the new railway terminal Of
the Atlantic Coast Line and r.. r. a
f. r. RS, as II now seems, is to oe
located in the far west end of the
city. Will impose added Inconvenience
and hardship upon Saur petitioners
unless such additional bridge facilities
he furnished.
In light of these and other facts
too patent to need recitation at this
time, we respectfully ask your hon
orable body that prompt steps be