Evening star., 1933-06-10
DISTRICT HIGHWAY
NEEDS DESCRIBED
Board of Trade Cites Neces-
sity of Sharing Public
Works Funds.

The Washington Board of Trade, tax
ing cognizance of statements challeng-
ing the necessity for the District of
Columbia sharing in the appropriations
for highways included in the public
works bill, issued a statement today
pointing out that the highway needs
CT the District are SO per cent greater
than can be accommodated under the
2-cent gas tax and that many improve
ments authorized by Congress in 1927
have not been accomplished because
of shortage of funds.
The statement follows:
"The question has been raised as to
the necessity for the District of Colum-
bia sharing in the highway portion
under section 204 of the public works
bill.
Annual Needs S3,000,00O.
"The statement has been made that
the existing highway funds of the Dis
trict are more than sufficient to take
care of all the highway needs. The
existing highway fund, if intending to
mean the 2-cent gasoline tax return,
amounts to slightly more than $2,00O,-
600. The annual highway needs of the
District Of Columbia are conservatively
estimated at sum so per cent greater
than this amount
Even with such an increased sum,
the replacement of unsafe and made
quate bridges must proceed at a slow
rate. Little progress has been made
on grade crossing eliminations, many
OF which were specifically authorized
by Congress in 1927. Bridges in new
locations, the necessity for which has
arisen through increased traffic in the
last several years, have not even been
scheduled.
1.-The approximate $4,000. 900 that
would come to the District in connec-
ton with the public works bill for
highways, including bridges, grade
crossings, ETC., would permit the Com
missionerS to go forward with desirable
and essential projects held in abeyance,
due to shortage of funds in the reg
ular appropriation. A great deal of
this work involves Federal highway
routes into and through Federal terri
tory within the District of Columbia. 1t
is appropriate to State that develop
ment plans of the Federal Government
within the District of Clumbia have
during the last few years brought about
the necessity for extensive highway
development in conjunction Herewith.
If the 100000 for highway work
becomes available to the District, ap-
proyimately 60 per cent of this would
be expended on thoroughfare streets
abutted by Federal or Federal-con-
trolled property. The improvement of
these thoroughfares, while of benefit to
| the residents of the District of Column
bia, would be of material benefit to the
| Federal Government in providing
proper approaches and access to their
more recent improvements and OF ex-
| treme benefit to the thousands OF tour
| lists from all of the States visiting
| Washington annually.
Safety Aids Seen.
"The list of projects furnished the
| Senate Finance Committee with the
| statement of the Board of Trade in
| cluded typical examples of the kind ol
| projects described above. The $4,000
| 600 fund could be allocated to the i'm
provement of Federal routes, Fedora
| property approach streets, grade cross
! ing eliminations in the interest ot
! human safety, and the replacement oi
traffic conditions without in any way
overlapping the regular items in the
| appropriation act.
! THE ever increasing traffic of this
city makes imperative the widening anc
! improvement of many of the mair
thoroughfares not only in the interest a
! this time of giving employment to thu
people of the District of Columbia, bu
in the interest OF safety to the travelling
public. If Washington is not included il
this portion of the bill it will be the onl!
/ municipality in the United States no
permitted to share under this act.
THE financing of highway improve
ments in the District of Columbia il
different from any other municipality
in the country Through its gas ta'
heretofore supplemented by varying
amounts from the general fund appro
priation highway work is carried OF
annually with only a small varying
proportion. In ether cities that operate
under the bond issue plan, peak year.
spot their highway activity to the ex
tent of millicns of dollars with lean O.
intervening years between the peaks
1t is believed this city's plan, due to it
ability to finance through its presen
methods net only is more economical bu
of much greater effect in that develop
ment can be laid out in a logical Sc
quence as conditions warrant the i'm
proVement."