Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-13
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.


Automobi, parking is closely related
to the business of the central district OF
the CITY. and especially to retail trade,
according to the findings of the Auto
mobile Parking Committee of Washing
ton. which devoted, through its experts,
a special study to that phase OF the
subject. :,
The conclusion of the committee IS
that present parking saturation' Is g.
definitely limiting factor on IT, acceSSl-
biIity of the central district Unless re-
Iieyed, the committees report declares
that = will tend to discourage con-
tinued or increased use OF this TT OF
the city by the automobile shopper, VINO
is shown by a study of department ana
suecialty stores to constitute Al per cent
of current buying power.
''If not encouraged" says the report,
'fthese shoppers will tend TO seek mar
ket with greater terminal convenience,
and will thereby foster the movement
toward decentralization.
Actual field observations OF customer
experience with curb parking shows de-
laws and inconvenience OF Sutnclent
severity to warrant immediate action.
store employees show substantial
use o. the automobile as means oil
personal transportation, and IN present
use of curb space are deemed to be In
direct competition with potential auto
mobile patrons"
THE findings of the committee on this
poir1t are of particular interest, because
it had the practical experience ana
viewpoint to aid it of members OF the
washington Board of Trade, the Mer-
chants & Manufacturers Association,
the washington Chamber OF Commerce
and the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations, along with representatives OF
- r.
and special experts employed for the
purpose. :,
The committee starts out With the
fundamental proposition that business
establis Iments must be accessible TO
those who desire to come for service or
purchases.
I'm fact, it is accurate to say that
accessibility is the principal factor In
the value of business locations" co..
tinues the committee, land that II ac-
feasibility Is destroyed the location has
no value for these purposes. Similarly,
any condition which tends to lessen the
ability of potential customers to reach
an establishment lessons its ability 70
attract and to hold trade"
The principal factor in lessened &C
feasibility In Washington at present IS
not found in crowded conditions OF
street movement, irritating as thry may
be at times. It is explained that the
streets are still far from: a point OF
"saturation," and with control methods
and replanning now being contemplated
they should be able to serve a city
many times the present size with con-
gestion no greater than is now found IN
other cities.
It is declared that the controlling
factor, at least so far as automobile
patronage is concerned, is to be found
"rather in practical Saturation OF auto
mobile terminal facilities" Motor cars
are declared to be of no value to bust
ness men and shoppers unless upon
completion of their trips to the central
district they are able to leave them In
some location from which the desired
destination Is conveniently accessible.
The committee finds that to a large
number of persons it is apparent that
no alternative form of transportation Is
either available or acceptable, and
warns that If the present parking Situa-
ton is permitted TO continue it is quite
inevitable" that a large number OF mo-
tor car operators will seek more ac-
ceptable markets.
This is not a theoretical hypothesis"
adds the committee, ''for the movement
known as decentralization is already
manifest in the expansion and shift of
the central district itself, in the devel-
opment of outlying establishments and
in the growth of numerous secondary
business districts"
The committee report adds that ''rea-
sonable decentralization" may be desir-
able when based upon sound commu-
nifty needs, but it is unfortunate that
1t should be artihcially cultivated by
conditions Of lowered accessibility which
are subject to remedy"
Notwithstanding the stabiliZing effect
of established governmental depart
ments in the central business district,
says the committee it is probable that
Washington will Be more sensitive to
influences working for decentralization
than are many other large cities" 1t
is pointed out that rapid transit lines
and established surface lines with high
riding use" serve in other cities as a
retarding influence.
VALUABLE as they are" declares the
report, the surface car lines In Wash
ington play a much less important part
in central district transportation than
is normally the case in cities OF similar
size"
In order TO obtain definite facts upon
which to base its conclusions along
these DyS'e tkt committee selected seven
department stores and numerous spe-
cialty shops an conducted a sales and
transportation" study of them Tuesday,
May 49, Specialt, shops, both within
and without the downtown district, CO.
operated in this work.
Besides the managers and statesmen,
thousands of customers were inter-
viewed by representatives of the COM
mittee. In its treatment OF this phase
of the subject the committee went into
great detail, and many pages OF It's
report are devoted to tables and expla-
nations of its method and to its find
ings, which are given at the beginning
of this article. 1t was a practical study
conducted for the most part by prac-
teal business men. and always with
their cooperation and advice.