All railroads other than street railroads shall pay to the District of Columbia for the lighting, under the direction and control of the Mayor of the District of Columbia, of the public roads, streets, avenues, and alleys, for their full width, through which their tracks may be laid, for the length of the street occupied by the said tracks, whether the said tracks be laid above, below, or at grade; as well as for the lighting of the subways and bridges over or under which the tracks of said railroads pass; and in default of payment of such bills, actions at law may be maintained by the District of Columbia against said railroads or their successors, transferees, or lessees therefor; provided, that nothing herein shall be held to repeal § 9-508.

(Mar. 4, 1913, 37 Stat. 953, ch. 150.)

1981 Ed., § 7-709.

1973 Ed., § 7-709.

Bridges, lighting, see § 9-301.

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.