Evening star., 1931-12-26
PRIORITY PAVING
Of MAIN STREETS
URGED BY GROUP
Planning Commission Asks
ArteriaI Highways Be
Given Precedence.
ROUTING OF TRAFFIC
INCLUDED IN PLAN
Restriction of Vehicles to Marked
Lines Held Important to Scheme
in Annual Report.

The National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, in its annual report,
made public today, urges the adop-
| ton of the thoroughfare plan as q
priority paving program and recon-
| mends the establishment of a policy
of pavement widths in accordance with
the plan"
There is in Washington and vicinity
urgent need for the promotion of the
major thoroughfare idea" the COM
mission said with reference to the
rapid handling of traffic by an extern
sive system of arterial highways
If streets Of this type can be set
apart from all others in the popular
mind and in the minds of officials, a
notable step will have been taken. to-
ward the creation of a more perfect
Capital City. Franchises for car or
bus routes cannot be discussed intelli-
! gently without a major thoroughfare
plan.
Restrictions Proposed
Traffic regulations, such as those re-
stricting the movement of vehicles of
certain classes to marked routes, must
be related to the major thoroughfare
system. lighting plans, traffic
signals, paving specifications, school
and playground sites location Of neigh
borhood store centers, fire and police
stations, tree-planting policies, even
deed restrictions on private property,
all are dependent upon designation
a, of ma jor thoroughfares"
Discussing its proposal to have q
priority paving program the report said
During the last year beginning has
been made toward such action through
| the preparation by the District authori-
| ties Of a five-year paving program cov-
| ering major arteries. bridges and street
widenings. The usefulness of a thor
| oughfare plan is demonstrated in this
paving program, which closely follows
/ the plan prepared by this commission
This auspiciors beginning warrants the
| expectation of greater usefulness in the
same and related fields"
Cross-town Problem.
The report asserted the best indicated
| solution for an adequate crOSs-toWr
route in the vicinity of Columbia road
and Harvard street from Sixteenth
street to the Soldiers Home is provision
/ for development of Columbia road for
WeStbound traffic and Harvard street
! for eastbound traffic. Realignment OF
/ the existing road around the north enc
of the Mcmillan Reservoir is essential
the report held. to continue this route
eastward to connect with Michigan
| avenue.
Passage of the act for elimination OF
/ the Michigan avenue grade crossing
/ the report continued, with the subse-
| quent change in the highway plan
| clears the way for the next step in
| the development of this primary cross
| town thoroughfare.
The commission said another project
included in the thoroughfare plan and
deserving of early consideration IS the
| extension of Vermont avenue to Georgia
| avenue at Trumbull street.
Bridge Change Sought
The studies of the commission indi-
cate. the report added. the desirabillty
. of changing the location of the proposed
bridge at Ninth street to make it con-
meet the intersection Of T street ano
Brentwood road with Brentwood Park
| Patterson tract. The proposed bridge
at Fifteenth street might well be relo.
Gated farther East, it said.
| With the closure of Thirteenth
! street south OF pennsylvania avenue
under the building program of the
Treasury Department" the report said
the necessity of increasing the traffic
capacity of Twelfth street will become
apparent. With this in mind the COM
mission urged the adoption of prCj-
ect for eventual widening north Of
| Pennsylvania avenue and the imme-
ate cessation of permits for projections
! ard sidewalk vaults -"
With this subject of future street
widening here, the commission dealt
thus:
PROJECTIONS of private buildings over
public space have been tolerated unde,
a permit system in Washington anc
have resulted in eXcrescences. marring
the appearance of the city, occupying
needed public sidewalk space for pri-
4 vate profit, and causing serious comnli.
cations when street widening is re.
quired.
The commission has consistently
advocated immediate discontinuance o1
the practice and gradual elimination ol
projections on public space. and has
suggested that as first step ground
rentals might be charged for use o
space on public property in lieu o.
taxes"