Evening star., 1935-04-14
CITIZENS URGE END
OF RAIL CROSSINGS.
Submit Plan to Eliminate
Three Hazards in
City.

Immediate elimination of the three
major grade crossings in the District
those at Michigan avenue, Bates
road and Eastern avenue-was advo-
Gated in a resolution adopted at a
special meeting of the Federation OF
Citizens Associations last night in
the Thomson School Building.
Urder the resolution introduced by
Attorney George Sullivan the High
ways, Parks and Waterways Commit
tee. of which Thomas j. Llewellyn
is chairman, was instructed to take
up this matter at once so the District
will be free from these hazards. It
was proposed that half the cost OF
such work be borne by the railroad
companies involved and the other
half split between the Federal and
District Governments.
The federation went back to its re-
port of an advisory committee ap-
pointed in 1925 to show little progress
has been made during the intervening
years in getting rid of grade crossings
To Seek Funds Now.
- uIlN6 1lOW WILL NC lildoC NY Gl1C
federation's committee to have in
cluded in the present appropriation
bill before Congress enough money
to eliminate at least one major cross
ing this year. 1t was suggested that
one grade crossing year be abolished
If all could not go at once.
Meanwhile the possibilities of elm
ination of all three of the remaining
grade crossings was seen by city Off
cials in the 100000 sum ear
marked in the new work-relief bill
for highway safety projects.
The total cost of construction work
for elimination of all three crossings
is figured by Capt. H. c. WhitehurSt,
director of highways, at 100000.
If President Roosevelt allotS as
much as 100000, 900 for grade-cross-
ing work over the country In his
apportionment of the work relief
money all three local railroad traffic
menaces will be wiped out.
Latest reports are the President is
considering assignment of between
100000 and s200,000,00 for this
purpose. Operation of the work re-
lief program, therefore. will at least
push ahead the District program OF
eliminating the crossings.
Under the terms of the Hayden
clause in the work relief bill the Dis.
trict will be allotted S201 900 for each
S1OOO0O.e00 set aside for railroad
grade crossing work.
BY an act of 1927 Congress pro.
hibited the District opening any
street at railroad grade crossing ane
required that highway and railroad
grades be separated before the city
proceeded with affected street exten-
sions.
The same act authorized the Dis
trict to build viaductS over three
railroad crossings, leaving the matter
of appropriation to later considera-
ton.
Cost of Projects.
The Quarles street crossing, which
would be built on the line of Eastern
avenue, would cost some 100000. The
construction cost for the Michigan
avenue viaduct is figured at S275, 5,00O
and the Bates road crossing at
900.
The 1886 District budget, as it
came from the Senate, carries an ap-
preparation of 100000 to start work
on the Michigan avenue project. The
estimated cost of s275 ZOO is in addi-
ton to this sum. The cost of the
bridge approaches is figured at $75,-
900, this to be paid out of District
revenues.
The supply bill for next year also
contains an item of 100000 for a
bridge or viaduct over the railroad at
Franklin street northeast. The street
is not yet opened across the railroad
right of way, but many pedestrians
now pass over the tracks.