Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
Parking an Attractive Feature.

The narrow borders of the streets on the
map represent the public parking, the width
of the actual roadway in the middle being
assumed in every case as sixty feet. This
public-owned land called parking is, as
every Washingtonian well knows, a very
attractive feature of the city, being land
that apparently and practically belongs to
the residences fronting thereon and pro-
vided, usually, with trees that are planted
and cared for by the city. This plan re-
suits in uniformity in kind, size and To-
cation of the trees that make the streets
SO pleasant in summer, and it would be a
good thing if many more of the lines and
grades of suburban streets could be estab
lished and young trees planted fast as
possible at the edges of the sidewalks and
in the parking far In advance of actual
building operations, as 1t of course takes
years for them to attain their growth. AS
the roadways of the streets are in general
of about the same width, the parking is, of
course, widest on the widest streets. Thus
United States and washington" ave-
nues have very wide parking, not shown,
however, where they cross Rock Creek
Park or on the sides of those avenues
where they adjoin Union square"
The most important changes, besides the
addition of Union square" and Washing
ton avenue" are the extensions of the two
avenues that border the easterly sides of
the square, one to the northeast to join
the highway map avenue that enters at
the upper right hand corner of the detailed
plan, to which the name "Oklahoma ave-
nue. is given here, and the other to the
southeast to serve as an extension of I'LL
nois avenue, from where 1t reaches Bright
wood avenue. Colorado avenue is extended
| northeasterly, following the old Piney
branch road to Brightwood avenue and
thence northeasterly to the District line.
Oregon avenue is extended from Bright
wood avenue northwesterly to oklahoma
avenue" and continued along part of Pea
body street (of the highway map, which
is widened from that point to United
States avenue" From this intersection of
Oregon and okla homa'' avenues a short
street called "Brightwood place" is run
due south a couple of blocks to Illinois ave-
nue. and Nicholson street, near the intersec-
ton of Colorado; this seems desirable both
in order to strengthen the symmetry of the
plan and to divide blocks that other
wise very large, while the name proposed
Identifies its location very clearly Part of
Nicholson street is abandoned for couple
of blocks near Union square," and the
name transferred to the unnamed street
Immediately south of it on the Highway
map; it is not run through the large block
east Of Brightwood avenue because that
block was left undivided the highway
map, which it is desired to change as little
as possible, even as a suggestion.
1t may be noted that while Oregon ave-
nue. does not follow the old Military road
west of Brghtwood, it does on the high
way map, yet it does follow the old Rock
Creek Ford road to oklahoma avenue"
which portion of that road was abandoned
on that map. Also that the curved part
of the Military road east of United States
avenue is utilized here, well that
part of Piney Branch road from Illinois to
Brightwood avenue. The proportion of old
roads to be utilized and not abandoned is
thus really in favor of the present plan,
which is at least one small Item to its
credit 1t seems also as though Illinois,
Colorado, Oregon and "Okla homa" avenues
are not only heightened but made far more
important than before. Finally, the ex-
tension of Colorado avenue northeasterly
from Brightwood to the District line APP
pears to be reasonable, in view of the i'm
thoroughfare across Rock Creek Park.
Incentives for Early Action.
A great deal more might be said about
the Importance of early consideration of
such a question as this, when the land in
volved is some twenty or thirty cents
square foot, instead of waiting till it is
dollar or two, but the purpose of this paper
is rather to suggest a plan than the time
or method Of carrying 1t out, If indeed 1t
be approved Every effort has been made
to present it fairly however, with the best
maps that are available
All signs seem to show that Washington
has now entered upon an era of continuous
expansion and prosperity, and there Is
widespread and growing feeling all over
the country that this city shall be not only
the political but the scientific, literary, ar
tistic and social capital of the greatest ma
ton that the world has ever seen. With
such a future before her, an. while the
forces that are to determine her symmetri-
cal development and beauty are crystalliz-
ing into their final and permanent shape, 1t
would seem to be the duty not only Of
residents, but of every American to do all
in their power to make her growing out
REPORT Of park commission. page SO, speaking Of
the present roads in the park and the difficulty Of
widening them: Possibly the solution Is to be
found in the ultimate construction Of another and
wider drive or drives. high enough on the valley
sides to leave the wild, sylvan character OF the
stream at the bottom Of the gorge uninjured, but
vet within sight and sound Of the water and seem
Ing to be Of the valley.