Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-24
District FORCING
Early Decision
On Car Tracks
Asks Tronsit Today
To Remove or Shift
Key Bridge Rolls
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE

NSy Olt0SS NShS
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE
The District Commissioners
will toss into the Capital Transit
Co.'s lap today its first real crisis
on what to do about streetcar
tracks.
The crisis. raised by imminent
plans for improving Key Bridge.
involves the future Of streetcar|
tracks which cross the bridge
and turn around at the circular
Rosslyn Terminal.
This, it was learned, Isl
the tough decision the city In
tends to throw at the company:
/. Either voluntarily tear up
the streetcar tracks on the
bridge, at a District estimated
cost to Capital Transit Of be-
tween $4,000 and 100000.
2. Or raise the height OF the
tracks on the bridge about Sh
Inches to conform with a new
bridge deck, at a District-esti-
mated cost to Capital Transit OF
between $250.000 and $500, 900.
In Costly Spot
What makes this problem so
tough Is that the Commissioners
already have indicated they will
force Capital Transit to rip out
the entire streetcar system after
the company franchise expires
next August II. But the city
heads also have told Capital
Transit they would not order the
removal Of any tracks within the
next year.
So it appears Capital Transit
won't relish the prospect Of
spending $25o.000 on an i'm
|provement it might have to de-
stroy q year from now.
But neither does the company
want to tear up the bridge tracks
and destroy the value Of the
turn-around Rosslyn Terminal
while it still has q year to oper-
ate. Company officials said the
entire value Of the long Brook
land Rosslyn line depends on the
|streetcar turn-around point at
Rosslyn.
Seeks Legal Advice
E. c. Giddings, Capital Transit
vice president, said company on
cials have discussed the bridge
problem with the District. But
he said the firm would have mo
comment on the situation until
we discuss the legal aspects With
our attorneys"
There appears to be only one
other alternatives delay Of the
bridge project q year-but Brig.
Gen. Thomas A. Lane. Engineer
Commissioner. said the improve
ment will not be delayed"
Gen. Lane said the Key
Bridge improvement has been
PLANNED for many months and
that 1t has been known some
thing would have to be done
about the Streetcar tracks.
He told Highway Director j.
N. Robertson to tell Capital
Transit the project is going
ahead.
Presumably Capital Transit
will be reminded of its obliga-
ton under law to make tracks
conform to any highway i'm
|provement involving a change
In grade.
If instead Of this, however,
the company should elect to
abandon the bridge tracks, the
city would have no objection.
100000 in Hand
Highway oficials have $780,
900 in the current budget to do
the Job. Mr.. Robertson said
plans are completed and that he
can get the work under con-
tract 80 days after we get a
decision on the tracks"
The bridge improvement calls
for % widening the bridge from
four to six lanes by removing
sidewalks, 90 building new side
walks by cantilever construction
of the bridge proper and 60
adding a new 312-inch surface
to the span.
Under law, District officials
said, Capital Transit is respon-
sible, when tracks interfere with
"a highway improvement for VII :
tually all the cost, regardless of
ca. rprrrrADS uo .