Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-18
.OVERPASS hackers
FAIL TO GET FUNDS
PROGRESSING BAN
House Bill Provides for Mon
roe Street, but OmitS Mich
igan Avenue Project.
CHANCE STILL REMAINS
TO OFFER AMENDMENT
Plan for Pedestrian Underpass Also
Eliminated for Budget
Measure.

Proponents of the plan to eliminate
the grade crossing at Michigan avenue,
where it crosses the tracks of the Metro
politan branch of the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad have thus far failed to in
duce Congress to make proper provision
for the elimination of this hazard by
construction of an adequate overpass.
The District appropriation bill, reported
to the House yesterday, fails to mention
the Michigan avenue grade crossing,
save by authorizing the sum of $685. 900
for the Monroe street overpaSS, a short
distance away.
The bill has been altered In commit
tee from the paragraph suggested by
the District government and Endorsed
by the Bureau of the Budget and in its
revised condition. the fiscal item for the
year commencing next July l omits a
proposed $4,000 for pedestrian under
pass at Michigan avenue, which was to
have been barricaded at the grade
crossing, thus diverting traffic around
over the Monroe street crossing of the
railroad tracks. Interested citizens
waged a vigorous fight against this
proposed closing of Michigan avenue at
the railroad tracks, believing that If this
was done, it would mean that that sec
ton of Michigan avenue would diSap-
pear from the highway map Of the city.
Chance for Amendment.
The fight to retain that portion of
Michigan avenue on the map and keep
Michigan avenue as a boulevard thor
oughfare has thus far been won, but
the battle that is yet to be won Is that
of constructing a satisfactory overpass
at that point-either in the present line
of Michigan avenue or in the
Strengthened highway, as suggested in a
study of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
While the District Government, the
Bureau of the Budget and the House
appropriations committee have thus far
failed to make proper provision for
elimination of the Michigan avenue
grade crossing menace, it is still possible
to have an amendment with this in
view offered from the floor of the House
and written into the present bill, if a
sufficient number of votes can be mus
tered to bring this about,
It may even be possible to have an
amendment for the construction of an
adequate overpaSs at Michigan avenue
over the tracks of the metropolitan branch
of the Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad writ
ten into the measure in the Senate, If
the House fails to appreciate properly
the great hazard faced by motorists and
pedestrians, proponents of its immediate
elimination said today.
Provisions of Act.
On page "a of the full committee
print" of the District appropriation bill
is found this item, relating to the Mon
roe street overpaSs:
For the reconstruction of a viaduct
or bridge and approaches thereto to
replace the existing viaduct in the line
of Monroe street northeast, over the
tracks and right of way of the Balti-
more 81 Ohio Railroad Co., in accord
ance with plans and profile of said
work, to be approved by the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia,
including purchase or condemnation,
for the District of Columbia, as amend
ed CAS- Stat, p. 143O, of necessary
| land, construction of and changes in
sewers and water mains, personal Serv-
ices, and engineering and incidental
| expenses, $135, 900: Provided, That one
half of the total cost of constructing
| the said viaduct or bridge and ap-
| proacheS and of the underpass shall
be borne and paid by the said railroad
company, its successors and assigns, to
| the collector of taxes of the District of
/ Columbia, to the credit of the District
| of Columbia, and the same shall be q
\ valid and subsisting lien against the
franchises and property of the said
railroad company and shall constitute
legal indebtedness of said company in
| favor of the District of Columbia, and
| the said lien may be enforced in the
name of the District of Columbia by a
bill in equity brought by the said
| Commissioners in the Supreme Court
| of the District of Columbia, or by any
other lawful proceedings against the
said railroad company: Provided further,
| That no street railway company shall
use the viaduct or bridge or any ap-
proaches thereto herein authorized for
| its tracks until the said company shall
have paid to the collector of taxes of
| the District of Columbia sum equal
to one-fourth of the cost of said via
duct or bridge and approaches, which
! sum shall be paid to the collector of
| taxes of the District of Columbia for
deposit to the credit of the District of
| Columbai"