Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10
The Triangle Traffic Problem.

The Board of Trade Is taking an
active interest in the traffic problem to
be created by the Governments con-
strlIction Of its Avenue triangle group
Of buildings. The solution of this prob
lem unfortunately appears to have been
left for some future day. According to
the points made by the Board Of
Trades committee on streets and ave-
nues, some future day will be entirely
too late. The plans for handling traffic
should be considered and eo-ordinated
with the architectural plans for the
buildings. So far rs existing evidence
shows, these architectural plans have
been drawn without much regard to the
obviously resulting trafHc dinhculties.
Some unkind soul already has likened
the Governments proposed buildings
to the Great wall OF China, in SO far as
trafic Is concerned. The comparison
may be unkind, but 1t Is better to make
It now, while the buildings exist only on
paper. than ut some time in the future.
when the buildings will have been erect
ed and the streets cut on.
Here, briefly, is the situation IS pic
tured by the Board Of TradeS COM
mittee:'
Thirteenth street Is to be blocked or
at the Avenue.
Thirteenth and half street will dis
appear entirely.
Twelfth street will pass between two
Buildings extending to the curbing on
both sides Of the street. In the middle
Of the. thoroughfare, rs it passes into
an open court between the buildings.
there will be small circle with monu-
nent in the center, thus eliminating
consideration Of Twelfth street 80
trafac artery.
Eleventh street Is already cut OF at
C street and later, according to the
plans, will be cut of at the Avenue.
Tenth street IL now blocked ut B by
the National Museum.
Ninth street runs through.
Eighth street win be cut on at the
Avenue.
Seventh street. runs through.
Sixth street runs through.
The boards. committee points out that
washington has. recently completed
widening Eleventh and Thirteenth
streets as two main north. and south
thoroughfares, and that both Of these
streets are being cut on at the Ave-
nue., while Twelfth, = narrow street.
will be permitted to penetrate the
wall" Of Government buildings. A
recent trafic count taken at Thirteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue during
the rush hours showed that / 900 auto
mobiles pass that point, going north
and south, each hour. Another thou
sand cars pass east and west each
hour That indicates the Importance
Of this crossing.
with completion Of the Government
buildings about $4,000 employees will
be centered IN the Avenue triangle
group. .
Fourteenth street Is now 50 crowded
that commercial vehicles are forbidden
to travel south during the morning
rush hour and north during the after
noon rush hour.
Thirty-Six thousand vehicles enter
ing and leaving the city pass over the
Highway Bridge every day.
In addition to such establishments as
the Department of Agriculture, Smith
sonian and the Bureau of Engraving, To-
Gated in the south-centraI part of the
city, there are the freight yards of the
Pennsylvania Railroad and some Of the
city's large commercial plants. Com
mercial development in this section is
going forward rapidly.
The widening Of B street through to
the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the
work of developing approaches from
Virginia to the bridge will bring a great
tide Of trafic over this thoroughfare.
To reach the central part of the city it
must leave b street at Fifteenth or
Fourteenth unless other direct routes
are provided.
These facts have long been under con-
sideration. The Board Of Trades I'M
easiness is evidently based on that very
fact. They have been under considera-
tion-but that Is all,