Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-03
No New Street Terminals.


II the citizens of Alexandria and Fairfax
and Arlington Counties, joined by their
allies in Washington's trade organiZa-
lions, can convince the Public Utilities
Commission that terminal rights should
be granted the Mount Vernon, Alexan-
dria and Washington Railroad in the
congested section, the important ques-
ton remaining will be the location Of
such a terminal.
These citizens may have convinced
themselves that the passage north and
south of some forty-four street cars
over the crowded intersection at Four
teenth street and Pennsylvania avenue
during the rush periods will not greatly
increase traffic congestion. But there
are others to be convinced on this
point. Everybody is familiar with the
deplorable condition at this busy COR
ner now due to the right turn into
e street made by north-bound Four
teenth street cars, which thereafter
move for block east against one-way
west-bound automobile traffic. And
everybody is likewise familiar with the
awkward tangle that ensues when one
of these cars must cut diagonally across
Pennsylvania avenue for the turn into
e street. The additional confusion re-
sulting from adding heavy suburban
cars to the traffic at this point is easily
appreciated and the problem is not
to be disposed of by merely becoming
convinced that no great harm would
result.
But once the cars are permitted
north of Pennsylvania avenue, where
are they going? It is unthinkable that
the Public Utilities Commission Is going
to permit the establishment of any other
street terminals in Washington, either
for buses or for interurban street cars.
For years complacent public permit
ted the cars to park in front of fire
engine house. Now that the fire house
and the parking place are both to be
removed, it is impossible to believe that
another street terminal will be permit
ted in the congested district. And the
Public Utilities Commission will merely
be doing its duty If it insists that be-
fore new terminal rights of any sort
are granted in downtown Washington
the terminal must be of the street. If
the street car company cannot afford
the expense of an off-street terminal,
such as the Washington, Baltimore and
Annapolis Station, or cannot make ar
rangements for sharing in the use OF
that terminal, or in the construction Of
new terminal possibly to be shared
with the intercity buses, it is obvi-
ously facing the same difficulties that
confront other business ventures equip
ped with large ideas and small
amount of cash. If the car lines are to
be subsidized, the subsidy cannot be ex-
pected to take the form Of grants Of
street space or cash from the already
heavily taxed residents of the District.
They have their own problems to con-
slider.
Proposed future treatment OF lower
Fourteenth street, from Water street to
the Bureau of Engraving, and the pos
sibility of cutting Fifteenth street
through the Mall, and bridging 1t over
the Tidal Basin, would, of course, al
Jeviate the traffic congestion that now
clogs Fourteenth street and creates an
unbearable situation. And Fourteenth
street traffic will be materially lessened
when the Memorial Bridge is opened.
The ability of the two suburban lines
operating over Fourteenth street to bear
their cost of the trackage rearrange-
ments under such plans, the prospects
of their future profitable operation in
the face of increasing bus competition,
and the Importance of the Transports
ton service they now maintain for the
residents of Virginia are factors that
must be considered not only by the
Public Utilities Commission, but by the
District Commissioners, the newly con-
stituted Traffic Board and the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Whether the traffic at Fourteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue can
stand the additional load imposed by
the suburban cars is, therefore, a rela-
lively small part of the whole complex
problem.