Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-30
Tardy Recognition.

AS~SSSo AAeAOA'
It is refreshing to note that the
Commissioners have come to the reali-
cation that Washington's street repair
program this Summer has not been
carried out with the efficiency and CO.
ordination that in these days of con-
gested traffic should be the fundamen-
tai consideration of the Highway De-
partment of a modern city. Ever since
the unsystematic and ill-planned med
ley of street work began in Washington
in the early Summer motorists of the
city have loudly voiced their complaints
over the situation. Detour signs and
street blockades have been in great pro-
fusion. 1t was not until Friday, how
ever, that Commissioner Dougherty
made known the fact that the city
heads had been taking cognizance CT
conditions and that he and Engineer
Commissioner Ladue we're working on
a coordination plan for the function
ing of the Police, Traffic, Highway and
other District Departments to eliminate
difficulty and inconvenience to the
motorists in future work.
Washingtonians are exceedingly
grateful that the District possesses the
funds to undertake comprehensive
street betterment program. They like
wise view with satisfaction the COM
pleted work But they are unanimous
in their belief that the money has been
spent and the repairs made with an
entire disregard for the paramount
traffic needs of the city. Not only have
several main arteries been closed at the
same time for street repairs, but to the
ng-suffering local motorist it has
seemed that as soon as the repair
crew finished with street the car
companies proceeded Immediately to
tear it up and after this job was COM
pleted that the Sewer Department and
the Electrical Department began their
digging in" operations. And it has
been no unusual thing during the past
Summer for one street to be closed fer
resurfacing, the next one paraHeling 1t
for sewer work and the next for some
thing else, ad infinitum.
There must be happy and pleasing
medium for all parties concerned In
the improvement of roads and the
needs of traffic. Under carefully
planned program it would appear that
a main artery that was in need OF
work upon it should be the only one
in that immediate vicinity to be
closed, and that while it was closed
and torn up the street car company,
the Sewer Department, Electrical De-
partment and all other departments
which had anything to do with /:
should get In their work before the
pavement was again laid. Certainly.
there can be no economy in putting
down a fresh surface only to have It
torn up a week or so later for repairs
that could easily have been made be-
fore. Under any we'll ordered system
tneTe SIlOulu NC uo penny given A"-
the closing of street until there could
be the economical and efficient concen-
tration of all departments for work
upon it.
The coordination plan now being
worked out by the Commissioners will
be awaited with interest by local motor
lists who have zigzagged their way up
and down town for the past several
months and if it is successful, as i.
doubtless will be, their sense of pleasure
at the Districts possession of ample
funds for better streets will be aug
mented by the satisfaction for work
done well and in a systematic and eff
cient manner.