Evening star., 1934-08-09
Rerouting Plan to Restrict \
Parking on Through Streets

opments in Potomac PARK and the
Triangle section.
Two outlets are possible. One
IS 10 construct tracks in Fifteenth
street between II street and New York
avenue and in r street between Four
teenth and Fifteenth streets. Another
Is to continue the tracks on H street
70 Thirteenth street and thence south
on Thirteenth street TO p street.
The former encounters fewer OBJ
stacles and permits more satisfactory
service. II could be built without
street changes. The Thirteenth street
plan would necesSitate widening H
street east Of Fourteenth street. In
the three plans submitted. two call
for an additional connection via Fiji
teenth street and one uses a con-
nection via Thirteenth street.
The much-discussed project Of a
subway under the Ellipse to connect
the Potomac Park and downtown sec
tons Is considered by the report, but
disapproyed. The report says:
An outlet from the Potomac Park
section by the construction OF transit
line through or under the Ellipse, in
the rear OF the White House along the
line OF Z street, has been suggested
This was carefully considered. as such
an outlet would bypass much Of the
Potomac Park trafic. However. 1t Is
felt that such . connection could not
be used satisfactorily for aIl-day
routes. II would have to be used for
cars entering the city from George
town or Connecticut avenue. and this
would be not only an indirect routing
for these patrons but 1t would not
provide delivery IN the business area.
Because of the fact that such q con-
nection would be expensive and Of
real value only about two hours a day,
six DAYS in a week, We do not con-
slider it q feasible solution at this
time"
Intercompany Bus Plan.
On the subject Of a possible inter
company arrangement between the
Virginia and local busses the report
says:
AN unsatisfactory situation pre-
walls in connection with the suburban
bus service from local Virginia terri
tory entering the business district
from the south via Twelfth and Four
teenth streets. This bus traffic Is
heavy inbound in the morning and
outbound in the evening rush hours
and very light in the adverse direc-
tions. At these periods there is a
rush Of Government employees en-
gagged in the buildings, south of the
Mall, from and through the down
town business sections, moving in q
direction opposite that Of the Vir-
ginia traffic. The Capital Transit Co.
operates extra street cars and busses
to accommodate this movement.
However, these cars and busses
are operating during the period Of
the most congested trafic, when all
movements are greatly retarded. If
some reasonably inter company agree
ment were entered into permitting
these Government workers to use the
Virginia busses at least during these
rush hour periods such an agreement
would make available for service the
capacity of these busses that is now
going to waste. This would beneft
the employees seeking transportation
lem in its most critical periods"
Problem Approach Described.
The approach Of Mr.. Beeler and
his associates to the entire problem
of rerouting Is described in the report,
as follows:
We approach the problem from the
viewpoint of establishing an entirely
new system as though no transit ex-
listed In the District today. The Wis
ualization of such a plan would in
elude q combination Of direct street
Car hines for the shorter more con-
gested arteries operating through the
downtown district. and into the
densely populated residential districts
with a system of fast express bus
lines connecting the more outlying
sections with the downtown area: the
whole supplemented by crosstown or
outer lines affording easy access be-
tween outlying parts of the city with
out entering the downtown area. The
main lines would be as direct and
straight as possible avoiding unneces-
Sary curves and turns, especially in
the more congested trafic areas, the
aim being to afford all sections a quick
and dependable service free from
avoidable delays.
ITO adapt the present system to one
that will most nearly approach these
objects and to devise q routing which
will utilize the existing plant to best
meet the requirements of the COM
munity is the problem to be solved"
Although all of the three plans con-
template abandonments of street car
tracks on P street west of Dupont
Circle, it was learned today that the
P Street Bridge, now under construc-
ton, was designed to carry street car
tracks with underground trolley con-
Struction.
According to Clifford Whyte, engi-
neer Of bridges, if it Is decided to
abandon the tracks the space allowed
for them in designing the bridge will
simply be filled with paving material.
He said that 1t would have been DOS
siole to design the bridge somewhat
more cheaply had it been known in
advance that 1t would not be required
to carry street car tracks. The transit
company. however, has not been as
seSsed for this work, as the building
OF the bridge is financed entirely with
P. w. A. funds.
Connection Sought.
Members Of the Navy Lodge, Amer
lean Federation of Government En-
ployes, are circulating a petition ask
ing that the Columbia line of the
old Washington Railway 81 Electric
Co.. which runs from the extreme
northeast section of the city to Fiji
teenth street and NeW York avenue.
be connected with the old Capital
Traction Co. lines at the latter point
to give service to the Potomac Park
section Of the city.
They point out that If this is ac-
complished 1t will be possible because
OF bus lines that interSect the Co.
lumbia line at Bennings viaduct.
Thirteenth street northeast and Sixth
street northeast, and because of in
tersecting street car lines at Eighth