The Washington times., 1919-03-13
VA. LINE CARS
MAY Be KEPT
FROMPARKING
Railway May Be Forced to Build
Its Own Terminal in Wash
ingtOn .
BY BILL PRICE.

BY BILL PRICE.
To compel the Washington-Virgini
Railway Company to establish It's
Qwa terminal station in this city is
natter that is certain to come be-
fore the Public Utilities Commission
% ne course Of time in the working
cut Of plans by the District Commits
sioners for the improvement Of
STREETS south Of Pennsylvania avenue
e hat vehicular traffic may be at
kerted from that thorOughfare, con
se1tion in which is leading to a con-
sanity increasing number OF acct
dents.
The proposition may come before
tne Commission Independent of street
improvements and traffic conditions,
pWfng TO the absolutely unanimous
opinion OF citizens of Washington
that street railway companies, es-
really interurban lines, have no
FtEnt in the world using the streets
81 this city for parking their large
ears, when the proper thing to do Is
70 provide their own terminals. This
Vas shown in the case Of the Wash
ington, Baltimore and Annapolis road,
which sought to obtain parking privi-
leges near the Masonic Temple, but
ran against such strong opposition.
voiced before the Utilities Commits
sions as 10 compel abandonment of
its project and arrangements for its
own 'terminalss which are to be built
south Of New York avenue, between
Eleventh and Twelfth streets.
In Position Of Defiance.
The Washington Virginia Railway,
which obtains, the cream Of its traffic
from Washington people and from visi-
tors who come here wishing 70 see Mt
Vernon. is in position of roundabout
defiance Of the orders Of the Public
Utilities Commission regarding inter-
company transfers in this city. Its at
dtude has done little injury to the rights
Of actual residents Of Washington, but
the company has adopted methods and
regulations exceedingly unpopular with
thousands Of people who work and do
business IA Washington, although living
in the hIl3s Of Virginia, above the Po-
tomac.
It is hardly possible that Wash
Z ingtoH citizens VIII long permit an
! attitude Of this kind from a corpora
tion that reaps its dollars almost
wholly because it's main terminal is
SADcated here, and whose track termi-
: Hals are In streets that must short
:: II come into use as a relief to con-
gested traffic on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. AZ SIS main terminal at Twelfth
and D streets, just off Pennsylvania
avenue, fits big cars stand for long
periods at q time, interfering con-
siderably with traffic in that quar-
ter. IL has offices and q waiting
rO0ms but its cars line the street at
an times.
Tr1RIe South Of Avenue.
The Commissioners and Major Pull
man, OF the Police Department, are
convinced that the time Is now ripe
for improving and opening certain
east and west streets and avenues
south Of the Avenue TO lessen traffic
that flows into Pennsylvania avenue
In q very short period z street, from
Fffteenth 70 Fourteenth streets, has
become very widely used by sutomo-
bnes and vehicles generally. That
street, however, Is blocked by the
District building, and the eastbound
traffic must turn north at Fourteenth
into the Avenue
D street, from Fifteenth TO TWelftk,
"a in good condition. except the square
from Thirteenth to Twelfth. Money
10 now available for asphaltinG this |
square, and Il win soon be done. This
Is the square upon which the Wash ]
fuEton and Virginia cars are parked. |
Their use Of the street is this square |
practically halts traffic in two di- |
rections, owing to the comparatively !
small space left on the south side Of /
che street for vehicles passing in diff |
fePent directions.
To Improve Ohio Avenue.
The Commissioners now have In |
mind asking Congress for funds to /
asphalt Ohio avenue from Fifteenth /
20 Twelfth streets. where it would |
run into weII-paved B street at the
Farmers Market B street is paved
across TO Seventh street at Center
Market BY improving B street be
tween Sixth and Seventh streets,
there would be a continuation Of easily
Travelled streets across TO. Sixth near
Pennsylvania avenue or south to
Maryland avenue, where that thor
oughfare runs into the Capitol
grounds. This program would be
valuable TO automobile traffic bound
70 and from Potomac park and the
Monument grounds or from points
west toward the Capitol, taking hun
dreds Of vehicles from Pennsylvania
avenue.
Ohio avenue has for years been an
unEightly mess Of worn-out cobbIestones,
and few automobile drivers dare under
take TO travel over It This avenue.
properly paved, would care for much
traffic.
In an attempt TO better the appear
snce Of things in all thoroughfares
south of Pennsylvania avenue, the Com
nnissioners early in January sent TO a
number Of lumber establishments and
business houses between the Avenue and
Government reservations notices to re-
move from parking spaces things which
the city government claims are not
legally there. The same notice went 20
Others in different parts q the city. but
the Commissioners were primarily in
terestsd in improving appearances south
Of the Avenue from Tenth street TO the
White House grounds
A report made today was that many
of the business men are complying
with the latest order, and that where
they are endeavoring TO do 30 addi-
asked for u