Evening star., 1926-05-17
COMPROMISE SEEN
IN TRUCK DISPUTE
Heavy Vehicles May Be A.
lowed to Use 2 Bridges, But
Not 6 Others. Bell Says.

Truck owners apparently have won
their fight against a proposed amend
ment to the traffic regulations de
signed to prohibit commercial vehicles
with loads in excess of 10000 pounds
from crossing Highway Bridge. it was
Indicated today by Engineer Commits
sioner J. Franklin Bell.
Action on the amendment will he
taken by the Commissioners at their
semi-weekly board session tomorrow
morning In connection with consider
alton Of the Joint recommendations Of
Traffic Director NJ. Q. Eldridge and
Chief OF Police Edwin 3. Hesse for
cendensing the traffic code and liberal
iZing parking restrictions in the down
town Congested zone. Col. Bell said
he would recommend that trucks car
ryins up to $4,000 pounds he allowed
to continue to use the Highway Bridge
and the Navy Yard Bridge across the
Anacostia River on condition that
they run in the center OF the car
tracks His colleagues. Commission
ers Rudolph and Fenning. are expect
ed to approve the recommendation.
Urges .HuOptiOH OI "HeTS.
Col Bell pointed out. however, that
he would urge the adoption OF the
amendment as far as it applied to six
; other bridges over which 1t has been
proposed to limit the truck capacity
to 10000 pounds. These include the
PENNSYLVANIA Avenue Bridge over the
Anacostia River. the Bennins Bridge
over the AnaCostia River. the Six
p,-iHO
road the South Dakota Avenue Bridge
across the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road tracks. wharf No. s on Water
street southwest between NJ and \
streets and the District FISH wharVes
at the foot of Eleventh street south
west.
The commercial vehicle owners
made their strongest protest against
the contemplated restriction on truck
weights on Highway Bridge. and Col.
Bell believes that the present $1,000
pound limit can be continued on TINS
structure without further serious
damage to the buckle plates and sur
facing until a new deck is placed on
it. An appropriation for this work
will be inserted in the Districts esti-
mates for the fiscal year of 1928.
Action Expected Tomorrow.
Commissioner Bell is especially OPP
posed to the heavy trucks using the
Pennsylva nj Aavenue Bridge and tear
ing up the new surface recently laid.
The Anacostia Bridge. he explained.
will afford the $4,000 pound vehicles
access TO sections on the south side
of the Anacostia River.
The Commissioners have deferred
action on the joint recommendations
Of Mai. Hesse and Director Eldridge
for more than month In order to
dispose of the truck question stimuli
taneously with the other proposed
changes in the traffic regulations.
Chief among the other notifications
recommended in the joint report are
additions to the code which would
prohibit parking in front of foreign
emba ssies and legations, lift the re-
striction on rush hour parking in the
congested area. and forbid vehicles TO
pass street cars on either side OF
one-way streets when the cars have
stopped to load or discharge passen-
gers Three new one-Way streets also
would be established in Georgetown
Action also is likely to be taken
tomorrow on the proposal to prohibit
heavy commercial vehicles from run.
ming on residential streets. The Com
missioners have received scores OF
protests from property owners that
the heavy trucks passing their homes
not only create q noise nuisance, but
tear up the streets and produce vibra-
tions which cause plaster to fall.