Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-22

whether 1t would be wise to take
such action, under present finan-
cial conditions, as to require of the
city three or four hundred thou
sand dollar expenditure.
He went on to say that Superin-
tendent Of Bridges Robinson had
examined the present structure ana
said 1t would take care of a ten
ton truck load. An additional al
lowance of 20 per cent could also
be allowed for impact.
Outlet 10 Highlands
Commissioner Swope said that
the only real outlet to the high
lands now is Central avenue and
when that Is blocked it blocks traf-
fic all the way back to First
street, He said that even though
the viaduct were repaired to stand
for so years. It would not suffi-
clently relieve the situation. He
said a permanent Improvement is
required with a wider roadway.
Swope went on to say that the
expenditure has to come some time
and the people of Albuquer-
que have expressed their willing
ness to have 1t come now. He said
the city's engineers have investi-
gated the viaduct and expressed
the opinion that it would be a
waste Of money to repair the old
one.
Commissioner We'll followed this
statement with the one that the
matter resolves itself into a Ques-
tion Of the congestion of traffic at
Central avenue. What Is neces-
sary, he declared, is a viaduct
broad enough and sufficiently at
tractive to invite traffic away from
Central avenue.
Mr.. Reid replied that Coal ave-
niue, approaching the proposed new
viaduct is not as wide as It is pro
posed to make the viaduct and he
could see no necessity for q wider
viaduct than the street approach,
He went on to say that as far as
the Santa Fe is concerned, in the
final analysis 1t is what the peo-
plo want, it is public opinion which
decides, He added
Il am willing to stake my repu-
tation that the most popular thing
the commission could do would be
to adopt a policy OF retrenchment
and save the city n couple of nun
drod thousand dollars or more.
That can be done by repairing
the old viaduct and as soon as the
people have become accustomed
to it they will appreciate the saw
ing and they will use the viaducI
shortly after the repairs are made,
when they find they can travel
over it the same as on a paved
street"
There are two ways Of looking
at it." Commissioner We'll replied.
zone is to get along as best posi-
bio with no expenditure at all to
the city. The way ! look at 1t is
this-what we need is a structure
built which will not only take care
of traffic but will invite it,
Reid replied that he believed the
present vladuct would invite the
traffic when people find out they
can travel over it as well as on Il
paved street. He repeated that
this could be done with the pro
posed repairs.
Chief Engineer Blanchard then
said that people would not driV,
a block out OF the way TO cross the
viaduct, regardless of the sort o..
viaduct they would have to cross.
He said this had been proved IL
other cities. We'll took exception
to this. He said;
People will drive a block out
OF the way under conditions when
exist here. When they know they
will have a free passage over tn,
viaduct. while there is a decided
probability they will be held Vi
at the Central avenue crossing b.
trains, they will turn off to cross
the viaduct and insure that pas
sage"
Viaduct Is Necessary
Well then suggested that they
start from the premises of whether
or not Viaduct is necessary and
then to proceed from that point to
determine the sort of viaducl
which is required. Mr.. Reid ad-