Evening star., 1928-12-23
RAIL STATION PLEA
IS SENT TO B. & 0.
Silver Spring Seeks Modern
Passenger and Freight
Terminal.

The proposal of the Silver Spring
Chamber of Commerce for a modern
passenger and freight terminal to serve
the northwest section of Washington as
we'll as the Maryland metropolitan area
has been forwarded to the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad.
Railroad officials at Baltimore, al
though they have not yet received the
proposal, indicated that there was lit
tie likelihood that the proposal would
be put into effect unless it could be
shown that the new terminal was an
actual necessity.
With passenger terminal at Silver
Spring, hackers of the movement de-
clare, it would be but few minutes
drive from that point to any section of
north or northwest Washington lying
north of Columbia road. Furthermore,
it was stressed the terminal would serve
more than third of the population Of
Washington in addition to. the rapidly
developing Maryland area.
Movement Pushing Out.
The proposed terminal would be three
miles to Chevy Chase and three and
half to Bethesda over the broad Sill
yer Spring Bethesda boulevard, now
under way and to be completed next
Summer. The great arterial highways
OF Sixteenth street, now nearing COM
pletion, to the heart of Silver Spring,
and of Georgia avenue, it was suggested
go direct to the center of the populouS
northwest. From these broad traffic
lanes radiate many streets and avenues
to every part of upper Washington.
The rapid strides which have at
tended the growth of the Nations Capt.
tai, the Chamber of Commerce points
out, have pushed the center Of popu-
lation In the District of Columbia close
to the intersection OF Sixteenth street
and Columbia road, and the metropol-
itan development of greater Washing
ton is being carried on as one big city
into Maryland suburbs Of which Silver
Spring and Chevy Chase are the centers.
This spread of population toward the
North, it was explained, is steadily in
creasing the distance for travel of pas
SengerS to and from Union Station ana
for the handling Of freight to and from
the freight terminals located In distant
sections of the city, until these dis
tances now vary from miles up to
10 and IL.
The Union Station, it was pointed out,
is admirably located to serve all down.
town Washington and all of the resi-
dental sections OF the city except the
large and populous area north of a
line drawn east and west at Sixteenth
street and Columbia road. Beyond
that point there is said to exist a real
need for nearby freight and passenger
facilities. A recent census shows q
population in that portion Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia of over 13O,0O0 and to
this number the Chamber of Commerce
says should be added more than 10000
living in the adjoining suburbs around
Silver Spring, Chevy Chase and
Bethesda.
Journey Too Long.
Too much time, money and energy is
being expended in making the long
trips to and from the Union Station,
1t was claimed, when travellers to
washington living or going to North
Washington could reach their destina-
ton by easy stages from Silver Spring.
The same also is said to hold true
with regard to freight shipments. This
area Is the destination of an ever-in-
creasing volume of lighter classes Of
freight, destined to the home owner,
the business house or the building sup
ply dealer, all of which must be trucl1ed
for much longer distances than neces-
Sary or desirable at greater cost in
time and money. The express situation
might also be improved, 1t was sug-
gested, by hook-up with the proposed
terminal.
It is not the intention Of the hackers
of this plan, it was explained, to estab-
lish a large freight center, but to es-
tablish depot with sufficient yet limited
trackage reasonably to meet the needs
OF the territory involved.
According to Silver Spring business
men, it Is vital, therefore, that ample
provision be made by the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad to serve not only the i'm
mediate needs of the public In this large
area, but also to make wise and ample
provision for future needs.