Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.


ever been given more careful or in
tenSive study than was given to that
question in the City of Washington by
the so-called Automobile Parking Com
mittee, formed at the suggestion OF
Lieut.. Col. u. S. Grant. Sd, director OF
public buildings and public parks, and
consisting of representatives OF the
Federal Government, the District Gov
eminent and members of the Local
trade and civic bodies.
AS pointed out by Col. Grant, by
Charles w. Eliot, director Of planning
of the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, of which Col. Grant
is executive officer, and by others who
have examined the committees report
and recommendation by those
who are members of the committee and
others-it covers wider field, a greater
variety of subjects under this head
than has been attempted heretofore.
The committee also had the special
services of DR.. Miller McClintock OF
the Erskine Bureau of Traffic Research
of Harvard University, as consultant
He and Mr.. Eliot are responsible for
most of the actual labor in gathering
the material and preparing the report
and recommendations for submission to
the committee for approval.
I'm comparison with other cities,
says the report, Washington is revealed
normal automobile ownership"
Washington has more automobiles
for the size of its population than any
cities mentioned in the report, ranging
in population from 100000 to 100000
The report goes into every phase OF
the subject so exhaustively that 1t COW
ers AZ closely typewriter pages. 1t Is
sponsored jointly by the various agen-
cies already mentioned. and actually
written by DR.. McClintock and Mr.. Eliot
the latter acting for the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission.
AS the automobile parking and garage
question is one that interests an enor-
nous number OF persons in Washing
ton-an interest that is growing yearly
almost monthly-it will be well to give
the names of the men who make UP
recommendations as a solution of the
problem for the use of all those who
may be interested In making regula-
tons governing the subject hereafter.
Personnel of Body.
Col Grant acted as chairman OF
the committee and Mr.. Eliot as vice
chairman. The other members are as
follows: Secretary, Edward D. Shaw
secretary of the Merchants and Man
ufacturers' Association Frank r. Jellefi
of the Washington Board of Trade, who
acted as treasurer for the committee;
George E. Keneipp of the Washington
Board of Trade, Mark Lansburgh OF
the Merchants and Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION, Charles J. Stockman OF the
Washington Chamber of Commerce
Harry M. Bedell of the same organi-
cation; Joseph l.. Gammell and j. w. Nc
Garry, representing the Federation OF
Citizens Associations; Stanley n
Horner, e. D. Merrill and Charles H
Frame Of the TRAFFIC Council OF the
District of Columbia; w. H. Harland
director of traff1c for the District; In
spector E. w. Brown OF the Metropoll-
tan Police Department, Capt. Ray G
Montgomery and his chief assistant
Can't, P. j. Carroll of the Park Police;
Can't. E. N. Chisolm, jr., of the Ma
tionaI Capital Park and Planning Com
mission: Mai. L. j. I. Barrett OF the
Office of the chief co-ordinator, d. r
Evans of the United States Bureau OF
Efficiency and Walter II. Dunlap OF the
District Public Utilities Commission:
In addition to DR.. McClintock, this
committee had the services OF many OF
the members of the stan OF the Ma
tionai park and Planning Commission
and several special assistants.
Contributions Received.
A large portion of the expense OF
making the survey was borne by men,
hers of the local trade bodies. 1t was I'M
dertaken In the belief that the automo-
bile parking and garage problem is OF SO
great Importance that 1t should chal-
lenge the best constructive efforts OF
those who are responsible for the de-
velopment of the city, that it can be
IIu nj af nYlly
on the basis of adequate facts, and
that "henceforth building and city
planning must take cognizance OF the
complications of the parking and
garage problem, If serious consequences
are to be avoided"
The report declares that the Govern
ment building program IN the So
called triangle, and "other traffic con-
ditions." have rendered imperative an
| immediate evaluation of the problem. v
In his preliminary statement, Col
Grant says that 1.-The studies have been
| financed primarily through the gener-
| Gus contributions Of the business men
of Washington"
The studies" continues Col. Grant,
"have been designed to make possible
the drawing of confident conclusions
with respect to parking regulations;
both present and future, in the central
business districts of the city"
The committee, in presenting its re-
| port, which also touches upon a few
questions outside of the central bust
| ness district, says it hopes the appli-
cation Of its findings will bring i'm
mediate relief and eventually COM
plete and permanent solution Of the
troublesome and costly problem OF
| parking.
In future articles in this series, The
Star will tell in more detail the work
and the findings of the committee.