Evening star., 1935-04-02
STREET CAR ROUTE
CHANGES ORDERED
BY COMMISSION
Track Congestion on 14th
and New York Avenue
to Be Cleared.
IL STREET RAILS FACE
COMPLETE REMOVAL
Other Alterations Included in
Plan Adopted-Revamp Will
Cost $75o,0oO.

Settling one of the most difficult
problems in the revamping of the
street car system, the Public Utilities
Commission today issued a series of
orders for track changes in the down.
town congested area designed to ex-
pedite movement of cars and make
possible new routes. The key to the
problem is elimination of one of the
sets of double tracks on Fourteenth
street between New York avenue and
H street. This is ordered
The commission determined to
make a connection of double tracks
from G street into Fifteenth street
and then west on Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. One of the double sets of tracks
on New York avenue between Four
teenth and Fifteenth streets will be
eliminated as we'll as the turn from
Fifteenth street east into New York
avenue. There will be a new cross
over connection from Pennsylvania
avenue into New York avenue for
eastbound cars
Tracks Abandoned.
The commission also has provided
for abandonment of the use of the
tracks in E street all the way from
Eleventh street into Fourteenth street.
The cars during rush hours now
travel the wrong way on this one
way street. causing serious trafflc
he Hl
track turn from Fourteenth street into
PENNSYLVANIA avenue. to the east, so
that Bureau of Engraving cars can
turn into the avenue instead of E
street.
Construction of turn in the tracks
from Fourteenth street into Pennsyl-
vania avenue, to serve cars going south
on Fourteenth and turning east into
Pennsylvania avenue, also was ordered
1t was estimated roughly the track
changes would have a cost of some
$750,000. The work is to be started
in the near future and engineers of
the Capital Transit Co. figure that
about three months time is necessary
for completion of such special work
Formal Order Soon.
The District Commissioners today
approved the plans and formal order
will be served on the company after
Engineer Commissioner Dan I. Sultan,
chairman of the joint board, signs
the papers.
The changes at these points in the
downtown section are calculated to
speed up street car service on many
lines which pass through the down.
town section, including those using
H street, Fourteenth street, Fifteenth
street, F street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue..
The commission has not yet deter
mined on the ultimate routing of the
various lines affected. However, the
changes indicate Mount Pleasant cars
will continue to use Connecticut ave-
nue., H street, Fourteenth street and
F street. Cars from the northeast,
such as the Riverdale line. could be
sent through G street and through
the new connection at Fifteenth street
at Pennsylvania avenue, west to the
big loop to Potomac Park. through
Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets, or
to the proposed turn around at Wash
irgton Circle, or even to Georgetown.
Turns Eliminated.
The Fourteenth street and New
York avenue changes also will mean
elimination of the turns now taken
by Fourteenth street cars which ira
verse New York avenue, Fifteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue west
of Fourteenth street in order to reach
points in the southeast. The plan is
to route these cars straight down
Fourteenth street where they can turn
east over the new quadrant or far
ther south on Fourteenth street to
the Bureau of Engraving region.
The changes at Fifteenth street and
New York avenue will mean eastbouno
cars can make the jog in the new
track and go east along G street as
well as northeast along New York
avenue.
The commission already has ordered
a turn in the track at Seventeenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue sc
that some of the Connecticut avenue
cars can turn east at that point
instead of using H street to Four.
teenth. 1t is calculated this will serve
to relieve congestion on Fourteenth
street. In anticipation of the decision
on downtown problems, the commits.
sion already has ordered q right turr
in the tracks at Calvert street and Co.
lumbia road, so that cars from Chevy
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