Evening star., 1936-05-24

teenth and Seventeenth streets,
merging into a single east-west sub
way on E street, including extension
of this subway approximately on the
line Of E street through the park area
south of the White House to Seven
teenth street. A short diagonal
branch also is proposed, to run west
on Pennsylvania avenue from Seven
teenth street.
Portals Not Located.
No definite locations were assumed
for the subway portals at any end.
This" the report said, lis an ex-
tremely important and difficult prob
lem which can be intelligently ap-
preached only after careful detailed
study of actual physical conditions.
The E street subway, large enough
to accommodate two sets of tracks,
would run east to about Fifth street.
The extent Of the lines" Col. Myers
said, las shown on the chart "a dia-
gram accompanying the report) is
meant to indicate a surface car sub
way system with portals just beyond
the most congested throats to make
the subway available to the maximum
number of railway routes, and pos
sibly the complete elimination OF sur
face tracks on some of the streets in
the congested area.
THE plan contemplates the
through routing of lines by the con-
struction of portals at both ends Of
each subway"
The Seventeenth street subway Is
intended for the accommodation of
street railway routes operating to the
western and northwestern sections of
the city. and entering the central area
via Pennsylvania avenue.
Would Serve Northern Area.
The Fourteenth street subway Is
adaptable to lines serving the northern
section of the city, and possibly some
of the service from Connecticut avenue.
which also could be accommodated
over the Seventeenth street route.
by means of the eastern portal of
the E street subway" the report stated.
1.-The subway system would be ap-
plicable to the through-routing of
railway lines serving the eastern sec
tions of the city"
An important phase of the report
is the recommendation for westward
extension of the E street line.
Extension of this subway westward
on the line of E street south of the
White House would create a new ma
,jor traffic artery past the traffic
throats," the report pointed out. This
section of the subway should be Of
low cost per foot. particularly If open
cut methods we're permitted in its
construction.
street has possibilities as an alter
nate for Fourteenth street, but the
latter has been indicated as the most
desirable because of its closer location
to the present heavy traffic center and
also because it would afford the sub
way branch the use Of an additional
station on E street near Thirteenth
or Fourteenth streets"
In concluing his report, Col. Myers
said:
''The District of Columbia Is con-
stantly growing and its traffic COM
plexities are already greater than the
average city of its size. The mass
transportation system is struggling
against already formidable obstacles
which are bound to increase in their
effect. Some effective means must
eventually be found to facilitate the
mass transportation service.
"a thorough study of the situation
at this time would certainly be
forward step toward the solution Of the
general problem and would undoubt-
edly help to crystallize the opinions
of officials and citizens as to what
improvements must be made"