Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
BAN ON DOWNTOWN
PARKING IS SEEN
Mall Project Complexities Al.
ready Serious Traffic Prob.
\ lem, Say Officials.


lem incident to the concentration of
Government buildings In the Mall tri-
angle and the opening of the first unit
OF. the concentration less than a year
away, a situation Of parking congestion
unparalleled In the citys history,
which may bring the end Of all park
Ing In the downtown area, Is likely;
Capital Park and Planning Commission
and Traffic Director w. H. Harland.
While several plans are under con-
sideration by the Public Buildings Com
mission and James A. Wetmore, acting
supervising architect of the Treasury,
the two original plans for taking care
Of the hundreds Of automobiles which
will descend into the Mall triangle with
completion OF the Government ofnces
there, are not now seriously included
In the considerations.
First Plan Abandoned.
The first plan, that of providing
parking space at nominal charge for
the cars Of Government employees in
the buildings in which they are to be
assigned has been definitely abandoned.
No space Is provided under present
plans for parking cars In the two Gov
eminent buildings now under construc-
tior.
The second plan, which provided for
underground parking of cars in sub
way area in the triangle, is still before
the Public Buildings Commission, but
It., is finding no champions due to the
excessive cost of such an operation and
the relatively few cars 1t would ac-
comodate.
1t has been estimated by the Public
Buildings Commission that this project
would cost between 100000 and So
100000 and when completed would
only take care Of one car for every Is
employees in the area.
& Car to Every Five.
According to the latest computation
of cars owned by Government en-
ployes, made roughly in 1925 by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. there was at that time
slightly more than one car for each
Ave employees in the Government serv-
ice. That this figure has increased
greatly by this time is not doubted
What the other plans are, Wetmore,
who is dealing with this problem, will
not state. He says the plans are not
in such shape as to warrant their an
nouncement.
1t is agreed, however, by all con-
cerned in the huge Government build
ing proectj that nothing could be done
between now and the time the new In
ternal Revenue Building is expected to
be ready for occupancy to provide ALL
day parking space for the approximately
800 cars expected to be absorbed In an
area about B and c streets between
Twelfth and Tenth streets.
" 500 Cars in Area.
Figuring on the one-car-to-flve-
persons basis set In 1925. the 1000 en-
ployes Of the bureau would bring at
least 800 cars into the area-if they
could find q place to leave them. OBJ
viously, the Government clerk cannot
DO moving his car at stated intervals
and must depend on place to park
his car all day or use other means of
transportation.
This area, according to Trafdc Direc-
tor Harland, already Is one OF the most
congested from a parking standpoint
in the city. with large business firms,
hotels. the market and the small stores
Of the business district closely damned
In. How the Government expects Fed
eral employees to come to work in their
automobiles and find parking spaces
within walking distance Of their offices
Harland does not see.'
ALREADY" Harland said, Govern
ment clerks working In Government &C
tfvities in that area are parking their
cars as far away as L and N streets
because Of the congestion"
! Speed Repeatedly Urged.
The National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission for the past two years
has repeatedly recommended that the
Mall triangle be self-contained from
the automobile parking standpoint. The
commission, according to Capt. e. N.
Chisolm, jr., engineer of the commits
sion, has gone farther and urged at
every opportunity that the parking
problem be taken up and decided while
there is yet time.
Capt. Chisolm predicts that if the
matter is not settled there will be a
Public Buildings and Public Parks to
sClve when 1t takes over the admins
tration Of this area.
Charles w. Eliot, I'd, city planner
for the commission, also sees desperate
need for solution Of the parking prob
lem. Eliot points out that II the en-
pioyes are not provided with space to
psrk their cars within the triangle they
Will leave them all over the parks
neighboring the area, Transforming the
parks into great gatherings Of huge
black bugs" further hampering the
2iOw of trafic.
:. Still Problem Grows.
That this parking situation will so
north as r street, and necessitate the
Use Of drastic measures to keep the
streets clear Eliot has no doubt.
In striking contrast to the situation
as 1t now stands in the Mall area, park
ing problems in connection with the
new buildings to go up in the vicinity Of
the Capitol have, with one exception,
been solved.
Provision for the parking Of 200 auto
mobiles near the new Senate once
Building, and for parking the cars OF
the justices and employees In the new
Supreme Court Building are embodied
in the plans, according to David Lynn,
architect Of the Capitol.
Third Problem Tackled.
The problem of providing parking
space for the new House Once Building
has not been gone into as thoroughly
a. In the case Of the two other build
ings. but the matter Is being given o
great deal Of consideration and 1t Is
expected by Mr.. Lynn that there will
be ample provision for the parking Of
ears when the actual building opera
ticns get under way.
Using the figures OF the Park and
flaming Commission, roughly gathered
through . car census In the ne. Navy anc
showed in the neighborhood of one car
for every Ave persons employed In the
building. it is estimated that when the
building concentration project is COM
pieted In the Mall triangle. there must
he provision for approximately 5000
GASs. Government estimates are that
$4,000 clerks will be gathered into that
area.
HEAVY COTTON SALES.