Evening star., 1931-12-30
Another Great Plan.

Washingtonians whose recollection of
the old railroad tracks In the Mall and
Of the sprawling, ugly passenger term
inals is still fresh will note with interest
the unfolding of another great plan by
the Park and Planning Commission,
under which the railroads and the. city
would benefit. It's annual report breaches
for the first time the suggestion that
the time has come when serious consid-
Grafton must be given to development
of new and adequate freight terminal,
together with the removal Of the layout
Of trackage along Maryland and Vir-
ginia avenues and in the vicinity of the
Bureau Of Engraving. AS they now
exist, the tracks leading from the tun-
mel under the Capitol to the Potomac
bridge stand In the way Of future de-
velopment of that section Of the city
in accordance with the Washington
plan. In addition, the steel bridge Is
considered inadequate and its enlarge
ment or replacement must eventually
become necessary. Why not give serious
study now to an entirely new arrange
ment?
The Park and Planning Commissions
suggestion is for the development of
new railroad freight terminal at North
Carolina avenue and First street south
east, in the area set aside for industrial
development, and the construction OF
tunnel from point just north OF
the Army War College, under the river
to the Potomac Yards, near Four-Mile
Run. The whole scheme, says the
commission, might well be considered
by the Pennsylvania Railroad In con-
nection with its electrification program,
and the railroad leadership taken by
the Pennsylvania in the movement that
resulted In the present Washington ter
minal Is mentioned as one reason why
the same railroad could appropriately
undertake the same sort Of leadership
toward solution of the present problem.
The commission does not attempt to
uloIlAoo t4lC CSOAlOllllC PilooC Va biAS PAO-
posed reconstruction program. content
ing itself with mere outline Of the
problem that will be raised when the
Government building program extends
to a portion of the city now relatively
untouched. But its introduction Of the
subject is plain enough indication that
the movement for rearrangement of
tracks and railroad facilities in this
part of town has begun and will con-
tinue for many years until the proper
solution is reached.
The commission points out the present
arrangement of railroad tracks ''is dis
tinctly detrimental to the monumental
development of public buildings in ad-
joining areas, either for the section
north of Maryland Avenue or for that
lying between Virginia avenue and
Maryland avenue" and in addition, "the
railroad now interferes with two Of the
principal avenues and vistas In the
city. Maryland avenue, which was
laid out originally as direct connection
between the Capitol and Virginia
is interrupted by the railroad tracks at
Seventh street. Virginia avenue is the
only, principal artery pointing directly
to the Washington Monument, and that
vista is now broken by the railroad
tracks" In addition, the commission
might have correctly designated the
present embankment running from the
bridge to the Bureau Of Engraving as
the chief handicap to a full realization
of the beauty that lies in plans for the
adequate treatment of East and West
Potomac Parks.
1t Is encouraging to note that the
Pennsylvania Railroad already has the
scheme under study and is ready to
cooperate with the Federal Govern
ment to the fullest extent in reaching
a practical solution of difficulties that,
If not apparent now, will become acute
In the course Of a few years.