Evening star., 1934-04-19
PARKING BAN HELD
RUIN T0BUS|NESS
IN TRADE PROTEST
Representatives of EStab.
Iishments Lay Petitions
Before Commissioners.
VAN DUZER CONSIDERING
ALL-NIGHT RESTRICTIONS
Preparing to Send Letters to All
Citizens Associations for
Study.

Prohibition Of parking on portions
Of F, G and Seventh streets was de-
clared "ruinous" to business, in petit
tions laid before the District Commis-
sioners today by Sc representatives Of
establishments along the thorough
fares affected by the ban.
Meanwhile, Traffic Director William
A. Van Duzer was preparing to send
letters to all citizens associations,
asking for members opinions of two
proposed plans for prohibition Of all
night parking.
One of the plans under considera-
ton, Van Duzer explained. would ban
all-night parking on all streets. while
the other one would merely prohibit
the practice on arterial highways.
boulevards and thoroughfares on
which there are street car tracks. Both
plans would ban parking after am,
he added.
Replying to a letter from Sylvan
King, general manager Of Kings
Palace, 800 block of Seventh street,
one of the protestants against the
downtown parking prohibition, Com
missioner Melvin c. Hazen wrote:
Should it (the ban against park
ing on portions of F, G and Seventh
streets prove satisfactory, the order
will be made permanent. Should 1t
be of no benefit it will be rescinded.
We will, however, give it a fair op-
portunity to be thoroughly tried out
before making any decision. Please
do not think we are unmindful OF
the contention that you and others
may make as to the probable effects
on business"
King had asserted, in letter to
the Commissioners, that, in two days,
the no-parking regulation had Sc
verely hurt business on Seventh
street.
One of the other petitions, signed
by proprietors of business places on
F street, between Fifth and Seventh
streets, declared the ban "ruinous to
the operation and advancement of
our business"
Gross Injury Seen.
Another petition, signed by busi-
ness men along F street between
Ninth and Tenth streets, expressed
the belief the rule was causing "a
gross injury to our several businesses" J"
This group added:
MAY it please the Commissioners
to at least be interested enough to
make a thorough investigation of the
conditions now existing from this ban
and give us the much -talked-of fair
deal in this matter"
Representatives of several business
organizations are to meet next week to
submit counter proposals for methods
Of improving traffic conditions on
downtown streets. These will include
the Washington Chamber of Com
merce, the Board of Trade, the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association
and the Seventh Street Business Mems
Association.
Discussing the proposed prohibition
OF all-night parking, Van Duzer said:
I'VE have not decided on either plan.
AS matter of fact, the letters to the
various citizens associations are part
OF survey that we have been making
for the last two years or more. What
action we take on the two plans will
be decided later"
The letters, he continued, will out
line the proposed plans to the associa-
tions and request that they be dis
cusSed at length. The replies will be
forwarded to the Commissioners.
250,000 Cars on Streets.
Van Duzer estimated there are ap-
proximately 250000 automobiles on
Washington streets every day, and
that about go 900 of them are parked
along the curbs overnight. This
situation, he said, makes the parking
problem more acute here than in
most other cities.
Digest of a survey made about two
years ago also will be presented to
the associations. That survey re-
vealed garages were able to accomo-
date only 80 per cent of the 10000
cars on the registration books of the
Department of Vehicles and Traffic
THE letters are being prepared
now" Van Duzer said, "and they will
start going out within the next few
days"
Meanwhile, a survey is being made
by the Board of Trade and the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission, under the supervision of
the Public Utilities Commission, to
determine how Government workers
and employees of private business get
to and from work each day-that is,
whether they ride buses or street
cars, or drive their own machines,
and whether they park their ma
chimes on lots or along the streets,