Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-14
CAR LINE CHANGES,
TWO-DECK STREETS,
ADVISED BY EXPERT
Total Parking Ban in Ger
tain Area May Be Found
Necessary, He Says.
FUTURE TRAFFIC JAM
LIKELY TO BE WORSE
Report Goes" to Senator Capper
From Capital Planning
Commission. ..

A number of important changes ir
methods of handling street car and
vehicular traffic. particularly in the
downtown section. are suggested in a
report sent TO Senator Capper Of the
Senate District committee today
based on study by Harland Bar
tholomew, employed by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion 10 study conditions here in con
nection with the broad scheme for the
development and Identification of the
Capital City.
The report says that while traffic
congestion here is now acute, there
may be expected in future an increase
of considerable volume which may
necessitate a broad scheme of traffic
organization as we'll as certain i'm
proved opportunities for circulation
of all types of traffic. The trafic In.
vestigator lays down the following
three general methods to be consid
cred for handling the traffic volume OF
Washington of the future:
/. New arrangement of existing
transit lines and differentiation In
street use.
2. Establishment of an extensive
system of one-way streets.
Proposes Double Decking.
3. Double decking of certain
streets. particularly in the area
bounded generally by F street, r
street, Fifteenth and Ninth streets
where existing grades are favorable
to such double decking.
The report says that upon certain
thoroughfares, such as Pennsylvania
avenue, F, G, Seventh, Ninth, Elev.
enth and Fourteenth streets, transit
operation might be intensified to an
even greater degree than at present,
and to which further encouragement
should be given by complete elin1ina
ton of automobile parking. at least
during certain hours.
Likewise, certain other thorough
fares. such as b. Thirteenth and Tenth
streets. should be Ieft open complete.
iy for intensified use by automobile
traffic.
Mr.. Bartholomew lays down five
reasons for the complications Of tran.
sit facilities In the present business
district They are:
/. Two separate operating com
panies.
2. Complete lack of continuous east
ana west SLre6tE.
8. Unbalanced traffic resulting in
looping and stub end lines.
4. Overconcentration of facilities,
particularly in the vicinity OF -Four.
teenth, Fifteenth and G streets and
New York avenue.
5. Lack of differentiation between
street car traffic and automobile traf.
nc on certain well defined streets.
Street Railway Situation.
Taking up the street railway situa.
ton downtown, Mr.. Bartholomew re-
ports an examination of the flow map
showing the density of street car
movement during the rush hours re.
veals very little Recommendation of
traffic on any one street, but this is
offset by the large number of tracks
and turning movements at numerous
street intersections.
This Is due, in part, he says, to the
desire of each of the two operating
companies to reach the center of the
central business district with as many
individual lines as Is possible There
can be no simple, no satisfactory
routing plan for surface transit lines
devised which does not start out with
the premise that there shall be a
single operating company or at lea st
unlf1cation of service in the central
business district and approaches
thereto.
Consolidation of the two operating
companies, he continues. would
greatly simplify conditions and adds
that existing stub end lines, such as
that on New York avenue, should be
eliminated completely.
The street system, the report goes
on, is notably deficient in provision of
continuous east and west thorough
fares along which there may be
through traffic movement-the street
being the only possible available
(Continued on Page 7 Column II