▁took ▁off . ▁Nevertheless , ▁citizens ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁that ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁Dup ont ▁Park , ▁Fair f ax ▁Village , ▁Fort ▁Davis , ▁Hill c rest , ▁P enn ▁Branch , ▁and ▁Rand le ▁High lands ▁wanted ▁a ▁bridge ▁to ▁re connect ▁" the ir " ▁Pennsylvania ▁Avenue ▁( which ▁ran ▁through ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁their ▁neighborhood s ) ▁with ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Avenue ▁" in ▁the ▁city ". ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁" E ast ▁Washington " ▁were ▁primarily ▁interested ▁in ▁issues ▁like ▁more ▁clean ▁water , ▁better ▁roads , ▁and ▁improved ▁se wers . ▁On ▁January ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁they ▁formed ▁the ▁East ▁Washington ▁Cit izen ' s ▁Association ▁( E W CA ) ▁to ▁lo bb y ▁for ▁action . ▁But ▁building ▁a ▁new ▁bridge ▁over ▁the ▁An ac ost ia ▁River ▁only ▁slowly ▁became ▁an ▁issue ▁for ▁them , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 5 ▁that ▁the ▁E W CA ▁began ▁ag it ating ▁for ▁one . ▁A ▁new ▁bridge , ▁the ▁E W CA ▁pointed ▁out , ▁would ▁save ▁residents ▁of ▁East ▁Washington ▁ ▁in ▁travel ▁every ▁time ▁they ▁visited ▁the ▁city ▁center ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁river . ▁ ▁Legisl ative ▁efforts ▁to ▁author ize ▁a ▁bridge ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁the ▁E W CA ▁formed ▁a ▁committee ▁to ▁lo bb y ▁the ▁Commission ers ▁of ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁( the