Evening star., 1936-08-03
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES E. CHINN.
More automobiles are parked on
Washington's l35 privately owned
parking lots every day than can be
accommodated in the available free
public parking space along curbs in
the so-called congested district.
A traffic study has shown that the
lots are storing 10000 cars a day
at an expense to the owners Of about
$3.50. 900 a year-whereas the curb
space for free public parking will not
accommodate more than 5000
As traffic continues to increase, the
free curb space is destined to be
reduced by additional restrictions, as
it has in the last few years. Even
now, traffic officials estimate there
is a demand for the equivalent of
10000 more all-day parking spaces.
1t is not generally realized that the
District now has an investment in the
free parking space along curbS in the
congested area totaling $1,250,000 in
land alone, and s20.842 in paving costs.
These figures for land values are based
on assessed values of adjoining areas,
computed to a lot depth of 100 feet.
The paving covering the same space
actually occupied by parked vehicles
aggregates 6,947 square yards at an
average cost Of So square yard.
U. S. Owns Big Plot.
One of the largest parking lots is on
Government-owned property-the site
behind the District Building acquire
at tremendous cost for the grand p.azt
which ultimately is to be the pa
center of the Federal triangle. IT,.
beautiful buildings now surroundin;
this proposed park-the Post Office, IT,
Labor and Interstate Commerce CON-
mission Buildings, surround approx
mately 1000 cars which are parkel
there each day in long rows.
The park site is leased to a private
concessionaire by the Government and
operated under a controlled fee basis.
The operator is required TO give
special rate to Government employees
who park on this lot, but others pay
a fee of IS cents day.
Two other downtown parking lots
are located on Government-owned
property and operated on a similar
controlled fee basis. The District gov
eminent itself leases three large par
GELS OF land for commercial parking
within the restricted area.
Altogether, the Federal and District
Governments have at present dedi-
Gated to parking of private vehicles
one tract of land with an area of
1892 square feet having a value CT
s295,731, another with 25.300 squala
feet with value of S88,550, a third
with 94,446 square feet with a valud
of s377,784. a fourth with 100000
square feet with value Of S2,700,00C,
a fifth with an area of 20892 squara
feet with a value of S86.701, and a
sixth with 10000 square feet having a
value Of S370,478. In all there are
552.310 square feet with total value
for the naked land alone of SO, ,919 ,244.
Space Fills Rapidly.
It has been figured that the total
area of 552,310 square feet. at the
normal rate of 1870 square feet per
car providing all-day parking and
allowing for vacancies) is sufficient to
accommodate more than $500 cars a
day. And it is a noteworthy fact that
full signs are hung across the en-
frances of these parking places nearly
every morning.
The calculations Of available park
ing space fail to account for those
persons whose business in the down.
town area may carry them to numer-
GUS congested sections within singla
working day. In each instance such
a person must find parking facilities
in order to conduct his business II he
uses "a private car and in man l
equipment to be carried demands the
use Of such vehicle.
In addition to the parking requires
ments in the downtown area, thera
must be taken into consideration the
miles of curb space which are used in
the area beyond the congested dis
trict, extending as far west as Rocs
Creek and as far north as Massachu-
sets avenue, and to the south through
the Mall and into the Southwest sec-
ton, which is at present used by per-
sons who cannot find convenient
parking facilities within reasonable
distances of their place Of business.
A check Of the vehicles so parked hai
convinced traffic authorities that
there is an immediate demand in tha
downtown section for at least 10000
all-day parking spaces.
Space to Be More Acute.
The important question of available
space inevitably will arise with tha
extension of the prohibition against
parking to the arteries outside the
congested section and to through
streets within the congested zone
other than those at present accom>
modating mass transportation.
Trafic officials point out. however.
that obviously no great advantage can
be derived II. with the removal of pri%
vate passenger cars parked at the
curb, there does not occur a prohibi@
ton against the parking Of commer-
cial vehicles. A single commercial
vehicle, parked diagonally. it is saids
can obstruct traffic far more effec-
lively than a full line of parked cars,