Evening star., 1935-05-12
HEARING IS URGED
ON RAIL OVERPASS.
PROJECTS IN HOUSE.
Bills Were Reported Without
Hearing Opposition,
Citizens Claim.

Criticizing the action of the sub
committee of the House in favorably
reporting two railroad overpass bills
Wednesday, the Rhode Island Avenue
Citizens Association now asks the
chairman of the House District Com
mittee to recommit the bills to the
subcommittee with instructions to re-
sumo hearings to permit opponents
to be heard
Harold s. Higgins, chairman OF
special committee of the association
studying the question within the past
few weeks, declared he was present
from the Rhode Island avenue asso-
citation to oppose the bills at the time
the hearings were conducted by the
subcommittee. In addition. the Trim
idad and Lincoln Park Citizens As
sociations were present, as was Peo-
pies Counsel William A. Roberts. All
wanted to oppose the measures.
Action Taken at Meeting.
At its regular meeting in April, the
Rhode Island avenue body appealed
to the Commissioners through the
peoples counsel to oppose one of the
measures, setting down six reasons
for this action. one of which was that
1t may nullify the terminal act of
1903"
At subsequent special Executive
Committee meeting, resolution ap-
pointing Higgins to make a thorough
study OF the situation was adopted.
In letter received from the Com
missioners it was pointed out that
while the Commissioners are only
too glad to give citizens of the Dis
trict an opportunity to be heard on
matters of public interest and con-
cern, they feel that. since these bills
are now pepiing before the House
Committee on the District of Colum-
bia, and since reports have been made
thereon by the Commissioners. a
hearing at this time would serve no
useful purpose"
Declares Higgins: why did the
Commissioners fail to give the cit
liens representatives an opportunity
to be heard on the matter? Also, let
them explain to the public about the
gentleman's agreement resulting from
a conference had with the Park and
Planning Commission and the Off
cials of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Co."
Resume of Brief.
In brief submitted at last weeks
meeting of the association Huggins
states:
There are two bills, one to permit
the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. to re-
arrange its tracks in the vicinity of
New York avenue northeast" and
which provides for switch and siding
connections to cross West Virginia
avenue and the crossing of New York
avenue by means of an overhead
bridge.
The second bill is to amend the
terminal act of 1908 and permit the
Pennsylvania Railroad Co., the brief
states, to construct a viaduct above
the tracks and above New York ave-
nue. connecting the intersections OF
Brentwood road and T street north
east with the extension of Mount
Olivet road northeast at its intersec-
ton with New York avenue.
The sole purpose of the two pend
ing bills" Higgins brief declares. lis
none other than to defeat the pro-
visions of the terminal act of 1903
which now requires the railroad com
panies to stand the entire expense of
constructing three bridges across the
railroad tracks at Ninth, Twelfth and
Fifteenth streets northeast"
II enacted the bills will deprive the
northeast area of more direct and
shorter route from Rhode Island ave-
nue. northeast to the downtown area.
The railroads will save from 100000
to 100000 if the bills pass and at
the same time will add an additional
burden on District residents by
making them pay for The cost of the
paving and sidewalks in the subway,
which, according to Col Daniel I.
Sultan, Engineer Commissioner, will
approximate some $4,000"
Traffic Problem Cited.
The brief, besides listing reasons
advanced in previous resolutions
adopted, also opposes the bills because
the plan will present serious traffic
problems that are opposed by the
traffic directors Office, and that the
traffic directors Office has not been
consulted
Recently Higgins wrote Traffic Di-
rector William A. Van Duzer asking
for suggestions to relieve traffic con-
gestion, and if he had been consulted
or was aware of the bills then pend
ing in the House District Committee.
In reply, Van Duzer wrote: II
could not make any recommends
tions regarding the location of con-
Meeting streets until l have seen the
proposal. This Office has never been
consulted regarding this matter"
The association has made repeated
requests of the Commissioners,
through resolutions and its Streets
and Sidewalks Committee, to have
various streets opened up to connect
New York and Rhode Island avenues
and so far, Higgins says, with no
success.
On January z, 1924. a letter was
written to the Commissioners on this
matter. Since then the association
has written the Engineer Commits
sioner's Office and the House and SEN
ate District Committees in behalf of