Evening star., 1929-11-15
TRAFFIC DIRECTOR
AND P. R. R. Join
18TH ST. PROTEST
Line Up With Board of Trade
to Prevent Closing of
Artery at Avenue.
TRAFFIC HEAVIER THAN
ON 14TH, COUNT SHOWS
Railroad Company Explains Pro-
posal Would Interfere With De-
velopment of Food Center.

Director of Traffic william H Har-
land and the Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
have lined up with the Washington
Board of Trade in its fight to prevent
the cutting of of Thirteenth street at
Pennsylvania avenue by the Govern
ment development of the triangle. AS
surance of this was received at the
boards Offices late yesterday and this
morning in the form of letters. one
signed by the traffic director and the
other by j. G.. Nettleton, general agent
of the railroad.
The letter from the Pennsylvania
Railroad set forth the reasons why the
blocking of Thirteenth street would
seriously interfere with the company's
plans for the development of South
west Washington and work a hardship
on both themselves and the consumers
of the goods they transport.
Completing Traffic Count.
With only one day left before they
must present to the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, mem
bers Of the Board of Trade were hard
at work today attempting to complete
their traffic count at the intersections
of Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth and
Fourteenth streets with Pennsylvania
avenue.
The latest study shows the total of
the morning and evening traffic pass
ing over the intersection of Pennsyl-
vania avenue with Thirteenth street
as greater than that at Fourteenth
street.
At Thirteenth street 5,833 vehicles
were counted between 6:15 and 9:15
O'Clock in the morning and AIS and
Sis O'Clock in the afternoon, as
against 5,797 at Fourteenth street. The
figures show that during the morning
hour there were 2,724 vehicles at Thir-
teenth and the Avenue and 1922 at
Fourteenth street: In the afternoon
of traffic at Fourteenth street. with
BITS vehicles against 3,109 at Thir-
teenth street.
Carries More Vehicles.
A comparison of the traffic which
would enter the triangle area in the
morning and leave 1t in the evening by
way of Twelfth, Thirteenth and Four
| teenth streets shows that at the present
greater number OF vehicles than any
of the other streets
An analysis Of morning south bound
rush-hOur traffic follows:
Twelfth Street-248 vehicles.
Thirteenth street-650 vehicles.
Fourteenth street-367 vehicles.
For traffic north-bound during the
evening rush hour the count shows the
following figures:
Twelfth street-5O9 vehicles.
Thirteenth street-695 vehicles.
Fourteenth street-583 vehicles.
BY these statistics the board repre-
SentativeS hope tomorrow to convince
the planning commission that the clos
ing of Thirteenth street. the main ave-
nue. of traffic to and from the triangle,
would result in hopeless congestion
along Pennsylvania avenue even at the
present time, without taking into con-
sideration the $4,000 persons who would
occupy the buildings to be erected there.
According to the boards present
plans, it will be represented at the
hearing tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock
by Robert j. Cottrell, executive Secre-
tary: George ". Graham, chairman Of
the special committee appointed to ham
die the matter, and Henry E. Stringer.
Railroad Joins Protest.
The letter from Mr.. Nettleton, who
first conferred with officials of the
Pennsylvania Railroad In the Philadel-
phia central office, states in part:
THE Pennsylvania Raj ad Co. Is
endeAvoring to make Southwest Wash
fngton the food center. In addition to
this, Congress has authorized the estab-
liShment of a farmers market in the
Southwest, just block from our de-
velopment.
IF the plan. as now contemplated, is
carried out, 1t will close every street
south of the avenue to heavy traffic.
with he exception of Fourteenth and
Seventh streets. Fourteenth street, as
you, know, is closed to north bound
traffic every afternoon, and that would
mean that traffic moving out of our two
yards would have to go east to Seventh
street, with the resultant left-hand
turns, and then come back up Pennsyl-
town and the northwest section of
Washington.
Our traffic out of Fourteenth street
yard is heavy, as it is at the Water
street yard. In the latter yard we un-
load our perishable freight and the
delay in getting out would work hard
ship both on us and on the receiver,
not to mention the added expense due
to an additional mile of hauling.
IF Thirteenth street could be left
q through thoroughfare to the south
west, as at present, 1t would solve the
problem, but If it is closed 1t will work
a serious hardship on the interests who
are trying to develop Southwest Wash
ington."
Harlan Sites Importance.
Trafic Director Harlan calls attention
in his letter to the probable increased
of Thirteenth street when
Rhode Island avenue is opened from
the District line to Hyattsville.
He says:
Thirteenth street from Iowa Circle
to the Mall Is one of the most important
arteries for north and south bound
vehicular traffic in the District. This
from Pennsylvania avenue
to Massachusetts, avenue is also one vf
the widest IN the downtown section. 1t
is my opinion that the opening of Rhode !
Island avenue from the District line TO I
HyattSville will greatly increase the VOL !
ume of traf1lc on Thirteenth street. The /
great amount Of traffic which now pro- |
ceeds via routes south of Pennsylvania /
avenue to BladenSburg road TO the north /
will find 1t more convenient to proceed /
via Thirteenth street and Rhode Island |
avenue to HyattSville and thence north. 4
I'm the interest of traffic hope that Il
your committee will succeed in keeping !
omen such an impOrtant highway as Il