Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-17
.Hyattsvi|Ie Gets
Plan 10 Improve
Rail Crossing
Vote Set Saturday
On Sufety Devices
At MeIrose Site .

Hyattsville authorities and
railroad officials drew up four.
point plan today to improve
safeguards at the MelroSe grade
crossing, where a train demol.
ished a truck seconds after its
driver leaped to safety a week
ago today.
The Hyattsville City Council
will vote on the measure Satur-
day.
The plan proposes new traffic
lights, designed to halt vehicles
before they can roll onto the
tracks and be stopped there by
other lights; a warning sign
which will alert motorists before
they reach the new lights; BAN
ming left turns off the tracks by
vehicles heading toward BladenS.
burg road; removing the wedge-
shaped traffic island-on the
Rhode Island avenue side of the
tracks-and replacing it with q
narrower, more conventional
island.
Officers at Meeting.
Mayor Jesse S. Baggett. Po-
lice Chief H. H. Holmes and
City Councilman Harry Styne
represented Hyattsville at to-
days conference.
j. o. Miller, assistant train
master for this area, and c. E.
Jackman, division engineer. rep.
resented the Baltimore & Ohio.
Mayor Baggett said the city's
police committee will inspect tho
site at 10 am, Saturday before
voting on the recommendation.
Popular Traffic Route.
The tracks crossing the dan.
gerous intersection run parallel
to Rhode Island avenue. Roads
leading across the rails are Crit
tenden street and Forty-second
place. ....s
Forty second place is a popu-
lar thoroughfare, since it con-
meets Rhode Island avenue
(north-south U. S. u to Balti.
more boulevard and Bladensburg
road (east-west U. s. 500.
The chief problem at The in
tersection is the impossibility Of
keeping cars off the tracks when
a traffic light on Rhode Island
avenue is red.
When several westbound cars
approaching Rhode Island ave-
nue. are stopped by the traffic
light. vehicles in the middle Of
the line are stopped on the
tracks. Other cars to the front
and rear of them prohibit their
movement off the tracks. Such
was the case last Tuesday.
Councilmen would not com.
NIT themselves to any possible
solution last night, but several
suggestions were offered. "A
The most popular suggestion
was the complete closing of thu
crossing altogether. I
Mayor Baggett said the only
reason he would keep the crosse
ing open would be for the cons
venience of the police and fire
departments and ambulanceS. A
bridge passing over the tracks
a few blocks north of the inter-
section is made impossible for
emergency equipment in winter
by other cars skidding on the
ice and snow, he said. j
License Hearing Set.
In other business, the council
announced that. at 10 am.
Thursday the Liquor Board will
hear a request for a beer on-sale
Class D license for Altos Villa,
5720 Baltimore boulevard. The
council voted 8-to-1 not to op.
pose the request:
A hearing for residents on the
installation of sidewalks on
Lancer drive between Thirty
first place and Thirty first ave.
nue. will be held at the councils
meeting on April 6.
Problems of garbage and the
observance of school buses In
traffic were referred for further
study
Members agreed that a present
$25 fine for throwing trash and
garbage on the city's roadsides
should be raised to $500. Mayor
Baggett said the garbage prob-
lem has become very serious"
since farmers now must boil
garbage before feeding it to hogs.
Provisions in the present town
charter prohibit a raise In this
fine. E -
Police cannot require motorists
to stop for school buses loading
and unloading children since the
city's population exceeds 5000,
Mr. Gfvoo roY,orfol