Imperial Valley press., 1930-11-24
7 ST.
CROSSING
GRAN TED
VIII Give City Another
Through Artery And
Relieve Congestion.
ENDS LONG BATTLE
Work Must Be Started In
Year To Comply With
Order Of Commission.

The entire city of El Centro is
rejoicing over an order and opin-
ion written Friday and received
this morning from the California
Railroad Commission, wherein the
city Of El Centre is authorized to
construct State street at grade
across the tracks of the Southern
Pacific Company This follows a
two year effort on the part of the
city administration of El Centre
and the El Centro Chamber of
Commerce to have State street
made continuous.
IN speaking OF the decision Pres
ident r. B. Whitelaw, of the cham
Der, has this to say: The grant
ing Of this permission and the op-
ening of State street means a great
er and better El Centre; it means
division of the traffic so that a
portion can be routed via State
street. 1t means. when the need
arises, second business street and
compact business center so that
El Centro will not become a one
street. shoe-string town like
Dead Mans Gulch town one sees
depicted III the movies, where one
lone thoroughfare has the business
of the community
At the city hal! there was much
satisfaction at the prospect of op-
ening State street. The city coun-
Gil, clerk, water, fire, police and
engineering departments have long
seen the need of this additional
! through artery and the news re-
celVed today was very welcome.
Particular gratitude, say chamber
of commerce officials. is due to j.
j. Deuel. manager OF the law and
utilities department Of the Califor-
MIA Farm Bureau Federation, who
in the interests OF the chamber of
commerce and the farmers of
Imperial Valley arrayed himself on
the side of the city OF El Centro
and the chamber and fought the
matter through to a successful ter
mination.
According to the order the city
OF El Centro bears the entire cost
Of the improvement and the auth
orization lapses and becomes void
II the right is not exercised within
one year from the date of the or
der November 81. The chamber is
informed that State street will be
lighted at once as petitions circu-
lated some months ago provided
for lights to be installed if and
when the State street opening was
assured
The opinion in the case was writ
ten by Commissioner w. j. Carr,
the other four commissioners con-
curing and stated in part as fol-
lows:
There is no question under the
record that the Main street cross
ing is badly congested. Conditions
are getting worse. They should be
relieved. While theoretically it
would seem that truck traffic could
and should flow over some of the
other crossings, the fact is that it
ooeS not but instead seeks the Main
street one in constantly increasing
volume
In a community like 81 Centro
the existence of crossings undoubt-
edly eXertS a decided influence on
the way the city develops. With
traffic centering as it does at Main
street, a one street town is in pros
pect.
Here there is apparently a
strongly clyStalliZed community de-
sire to open up State street Plans
are in contemplation to connect it
On the east with the Main highway
so that traffic will divide. Not only
the city but the chamber of commerce
is actively urging that the appli-
cation be granted. An imposing
number of leading citizens testified
to its need While its cost will be
unusually high, some estimates
running as much as 100000. the
community seems ready to assume
the full amount The entire record
negatives the demand for the cross
ing 10 be a ter. porary or passing
nature
while upon The record the ap-
ulicaticn could with Justification.
be either granted On denied, a prop
er regard for the strong desire and
nsistence of the community die
tates that any doubt should be re-
solved in favor of according the city
of El centro the right to shape It's
as the apparent ma
turcd and unanimous sentiment in
s.sts 1t should be shaped