Evening star., 1925-09-19
COL. BELL DEFENDS
USE Of SIDE POLES
System Is Best for Present
Needs. Commissioner
Says.

When the Public Utilities Commits
sion approved plans for the removal
OF center trolley poles from Connect
cut avenue and the substitution Of
side-pole construction it felt that the
work contemplated would he some i'm
provement over existing conditions
rather thar a detriment TO the ave
nue., Engineer Commissioner Bell
stated today. when asked TO comment
on the objection raised by the Fine
Arts Commission
The Fine Arts body. il was learned
vest erday, has taken the position that
the new poles To he placed AT the sides
are ugly in appearance. and that they
would injure shade trees along the
avenue.
Co. Bell said he agreed with those
who think underground wire systems
would he the most desira ble trea tment
on Come cticut avenue extended when
the Calvert street and klinSie Ford
bridges are repls ced hut he sa Id the
building of new bridges seems To he
still rather far distant, and that IL
would have been unrea soma BILE 10 have
ordered complete underground wire
construction until the bridges can he
repla ced.
VIII Reduce Poles Number.
The Engineer Commissioner stated
that the work now under way on
Connecticut avenue viii not only
ira nsfer the poles from the center to
the sides OF the street. but will mea n
A reduction in the number Of poles
and also in he placing Of all wires
underground as far as Rodman street
except the single trolley wire over the
car tracks and the cross wires neces.
sary 10 hold il up.
Both the Potomac Electric Power
Go. and the Capital Ira ction Co. he
id. are placing underground ell feed
wires as far as Rodman street. The
work heine done hy The Potomac Elec.
trio Power Co. will help to reduce the
number of poles. and the number will
he further reduced. Col. Bell explained.
by placing the Districts street light.
ing fixtures on the new side poles OF
the Capital Traction Co.
Col. Bell said he could not see how
the sid. poles would affect the trees
as far as Rodman street, since all feed
wires will he underground to that
point. While The feed wires viii re-
main overhead beyond Rodnan street
tor the time heine. this !s no cha nge
rom the situation that already exists.
Street Treatments Differ.
Discussing the question OF why cen
ter poles are being moved to the sides
Of Connecticut nvenue while new zen
ter poles have heen erected on Wis.
consin avenue. Col. Rell said there
are two differences in the sltua rior
between the two avenues.
One. he a. id. is that the houses along
Connecticut avenue are already sup
piled with electricity from under.
ground, so that the placing OF ren,a in
ing feed wires in conduits is com
pletina project already started
whereas on Wisconsin avenue oil
electric service is overhead and the
removal Of center trolley poles TO the
side would not result in reducing the
number OF poles OF the number OF
wires.
The second difference which Col.
Bell sees between the two avenues is
Il traff1 problem. On Connecticut
avenue the Engineer Commissioner
| said. there IL a larger volume of traffic
turning into the avenue from inter.
secting streets than is the case on
Wisconsin avenue, and that center
pole- are more dangerous to this
turning in traffic than on Wisconsin
avenue.
Thinks Course Best.
t"l. Bell declared that he did not
expect the erection OF side poles to
eliminate all accidents on Connect
cut a .enue. and expressed the belief
, that some OF them would be collided
. with even At the sides Of the street.
He said. however. that he felt con-
yincAd the work about TO he begun
was the hest solution for Connecticut
avenue considering all angles of the
case. until such time as the two
I bridges Are rebuilt and underground
trackaee ia constructed.
i District officials say that the new
iron-side poles. regarded by, the Fine
Arts Commission as being lacking In
! ornamental appeara nee. are heinz
bought by the Capitsl Traction Co
a nd that the Districts part will he n
namentsl bracket placed on the
poles for street lighting purposes, In
order to avoid having A duplicate SET