Evening star., 1935-08-29
W.,B.&A. ROADBED
IS URGED FOR NEW
ANNAPOLIS ROUTE
State Senator Proposes Use
of Railway Line for
Highway.
HOLDS PLAN WOULD
ELIMINATE DANGERS
Connecting Line to Baltimore
Suggested Also-Demands for
Safer Road Pressed.

A proposal that the roadbed Of the
abandoned Washington, Baltimore g.
Annapolis Electric Railway be used for
a new highway between here and An
napolis was made in Baltimore today
by Raymond E. Kennedy Of the
Maryland State Senate.
Following criticism of the narrow
winding Defense Highway as incapable
of handling the flow of traffic be-
tween the two cities, Senator Ken
nedy suggested that the State Roads
Commission investigate the poSsibili-
ties of using the old roadbed for q
highway.
1T seems to me-" he said, accord
ing to the Associated Press, that we
should consider from a State stand
point whether we would want the
roadbed of this railroad for another
highway from Annapolis to Washing
ton, with a connecting line to Balt.-
more"
Sees Savings in Plan.
Senator Kennedy remarked that a
great saving from the ordinary costs
Of road building could be made along
such a route because the roadbed al
ready constructed would eliminate
much excavating.
IT understand that this is about a
63-foot right-of-way. he added. Some
Of the property is fee-simple and. Of
course, would be owned by the bond
nf
way came to the railroad by way Of
grant and the property would prob
ably revert to the original land owners.
1T is all level property and unus-
ually well fitted for road building
purposes.
State Leaders to Help.
Meanwhile, the campaign to widen
and straighten Defense Highway
gained new impetus when State lead
ers announced an intention to carry
their demands to the Governor and
Legislature unless a definite program
soon is launched by the Roads Com
mission.
Despite reiteration by Nathan L.
Smith, chief engineer of the roads
commission, that he considers the
present road adequate for its traffic
| load, State Senate leaders and the
Rotary Club Of College Park today
threw the weight of their influence
whole-heartedly behind the move
to modernize death highway"
Lansdale G. Sasscer of Prince
Georges County, president of the
Senate. said he would do all in his
power to get action on the worthy
project" while State Senator Ridgely
P. Melvin of Anne Arundel County
called on the roads commission to
prepare a definite program to make
the highway safe, asserting the time
has passed when mere comment"
will answer.
Service Clubs Act.
Pointing to increasing demands for
improvement Of the road, leaders Of
several other service clubs in Prince
Georges County said they would
throw the full weight of their sup
! port behind the movement, while
the County Commissioners AsSocia-
ton of the Western Shore is expected
to act favorably on the plan at its
meeting in Hagerstown tomorrow.
Senator Melvin. in a letter to Dr..
Homer E. Tabler, chairman of the
Roads Commission, declared he as
sumed the commission would meet its
responsibility regarding the safety of
the public on death highway" with
out the necessity Of a mandate from
the Legislature. Failure to do so. he
predicted, would result in a legislative
mandate.
Members of the University of Mary
lands engineering staff who are ia
miliar with highway problems, and
Perry Boswell, president of the Board
Of Prince Georges County Commits
sioners, were among the Rotarians who
voted unanimously last night for a
resolution calling for immediate i'm
provement of the highway.
Presented by H. C. Byrd. acting
president of the University of Mary
land and president of the Rotary
Club, the resolution cites publicity
given the dangerous curves and inter
sections on death highway" as in
dicating there is a constant danger
to traffic using the road.
1t stressed the fact that q large
percentage Of the accidents on the
highway have been fatal, and urged
the immediate elimination Of the
highways unsafe features.
Those campaigning for improvement
of the highway point out that the
Bureau of Public Roads of the De-
partment Of Agriculture has found
peak traffic on the road to exceed
5000 cars day. The maximum Ca
pacity Of the highway, as estimated
by the Roads Commission, is only
10000 cars a day.
White to Present Figures.
John S. White, member of the
House of Delegates, and chairman
Of the Defense Highway Committee
Of the Prince Georges County Fed
Grafton Of Citizens Associations, Is to
lay these figures, together with the
record Of "A fatal accidents in the
last IS months on the highway, be-
fore the Roads Commission within the
next few days.
If the commission insists that the
average, rather than the peak traf-
fic be considered in determining the
use Of the road, White is authorized
by the federation 10 appeal 10 Gov.
Nice for action. In any event he il
also instructed to present the facts
concerning the innumerable death
traps" on the States most "indefen-
sible highway" before the executive.