Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-15
URGES B|SECT|NG
. OF LAFAYETTEPA
District Surveyor Would Ex.
tend 18th Street Through
to Pennsylvania Ave.

Opening OF Sixteenth street through
Lafayette Square was proposed today
by District Surveyor Melvin c. Hazen
as one step in comprehensive
scheme for the Improvement of that
boulevard. both as traffic artery and
as one of the show streets of Wash
ington.
For the Identification OF Sixteenth
street the surveyor suggests that a
strip of parking be created in the
middle OF the thoroughfare for now
ers and shrubbery and that systematic
treatment be applied to the spacious
lawns in front of the houses on both
sides of the street
The strip Of cen parking woaId
divide norm and sodth bound. trsf ffic
by creating two 35-foat roadways in
place OF the existing wide expanse
from curb to curb.
Explains His Plan.
In submitting his plan to Maj. Ray
mond Wheeler, assistant engineer com
missioner, for study. Mr.. Hazen said
II believe in this connection Six
teenth street should be extended
through Lafayette Square to the
White House grounds. reserying a
small circle and reservation for Jack
son statue in the center of the street
This would give the White House a
wonderful vista UP Sixteenth street
and provide a magnificent terminus for
this street
1t would also allow traffic to enter
Sixteenth street from Pennsylvania
avenue with its extra width and re-
lieve much of the congestion in the
neighborhood of Fourteenth, Fifteenth,
II streets and New York avenue 1t is
hard to estimate the increased amount
of automobile traffic which could be
handled with such an automobile
boulevard with system of block sig
nails. The automobile traffic problem
Is becoming a more and more difficult
one for the city. and / believe this
would be one of the schemes for re-
lieving conditions.
woaId Develop Parking.
The principal thought, however.
which I wish to impress is the treat
ment of the parking between the side
walk and the building line. The title
to this area is in the United States,
placed by act of Congress under the
jurisdiction of the Commissioners. tn e
property owners having the benefit
of the parking"
Mr.. Hazen then pointed out that a
survey of the present appearance of
the street will show some terraces,
some fiat lawns, some houses with
retaining walls and others with
hedges. 1t is Mr.. Hazen's idea that
funds be spent to bring about a
uniform and attractive development
of the wide Strips of parking on both
sides of Sixteenth street.
This area" his report continues.
might be placed under the chief of
engineers of the United States Army.
to become part of the park system
of the District, to be maintained by
that Office, but / am convinced that a
more satisfactory plan would be to
place this under the jurisdiction of
the Office of trees and parkings Of
the District. and maintained by that
department"
Developments made by private own
ers, where they have uniformly treat
ed the parking, will convince any
body of the desirability of improving
the parking space in the older parts
of the District. The speculative
builder spends considerable portion
of the cost of development in the
Identification of the parking as a
means of selling the houses, but aft
eT IL Is spit inherent own
ers this parking is afterward neg
lected.
Il think no expenditure for the
Identification of the city would show
to better advantage and dress the city
up or improve its appearance more
than money spent upon a treatment
of this kind. 1t is believed that an
initial appropriation should be made,
with some legislation covering the
whole subject"