Evening star., 1937-09-09
BY DON s. WARREN.


enlarged special highway fund, which
will be increased after December by
adoption of the motor vehicle weight
tax, Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, director
of highways, has urged the Commits
sioners to adopt five-year S20,000,-
600 highway improvement program,
beginning with the next fiscal year.
Many of the long list of projects
tentatively listed for the program are
designed to make Washington's streets
safer by the removal of traffic hazards
and points of congestion, and thus
facilitate the flow of traffic.
s4,OOO,0O0 Average Year.
While the five-year program, if linn
tied to present estimates of receipts,
would aggregate some s20,00O,0O0, the
average for the period would approx
mate the s4,0o0,000 appropriated for
the street and bridge divisions in 1888.
The total granted for this fiscal year
was $3,013, TAO.
Capt. Whitehurst suggests flexible
program which may be varied as needs
demands, and offers for consideration
projects which would cost some $780,
100000 if all were approved by Con-
gress. His present plan is to select
from this list during the next five
years items which would make the
f1ve-year program aggregate s19,-
845, 900. He estimates receipts for
that period at SIG, ,796,210.
Other Activities Require Funds.
These figures, however, do not rep
resent the total of the highway fund,
nor proposed expenditures, since they
are restricted to the work of the street
and bridge divisions. Other items
now chargeable to the increased high
way fund amount to $4,000, includ-
ing the costs of the tree and parkings
division. police control of traffic and
part of the cost of the Department of
Vehicles and Traffic.
Including these extra items. the
estimates of Capt. Whitehurst for the
next fiscal year would be S5,692, ,81O-
the same as his estimate of receipts
as against S3,088,771 appropriated
out of the highway fund for this fiscal
year.
For the work of the street and
bridge divisions alone for next wear.
Capt. Whitehurst proposes expendi-
ture OF $4,72l 900, and for the ensuing
four years S3,781, 900 each. He ex-
plains that the additional fund of
81, 100000 to come from the motor
vehicle weight tax will be available
beginning in January, but Congress
has not appropriated any of this
money for this fiscal year. He esti-
mates that S1,112,810 will be carried
from this year to 1889, unless supple
mental appropriations are granted by
Congress prior to next July l.
Circle Projects Included.
The proposed traffic engineer plans
for Dupont, Scott and Thomas Circles
will be included in projects for the
next fiscal year, under Capt. White
hurst's estimates. The schedule also
calls for starting of construction of
a new Pennsylvania avenue bridge.
but construction of the K street via
duct as a bypass for congested M
street in Georgetown, would be de-
layed to later in the five-year pro-
gram. No definite time is scheduled
for starting the proposed new crossing
for Rock Greek Park from Connecticut
avenue to Sixteenth street. a project
fathered by Chairman Ross Collins of
the House District Subcommittee on
Appropriations.
The highway directors 1889 tenta-
tive estimates reveal he has decided
to recommend construction of a sub
rather than follow the original plan
for mere rearrangement of the sur
lace facilities. The new plan would
cost S345,00O.
A similar treatment would be
adopted for Dupont Circle, at a cost
OF $370,000, the alternative being to
run north-bound street cars on tracks
on the east sector of that circle. New
traffic -directional islands would be
built at Scott Circle, next year, at a
cost of $85 900.
way for street cars at Thomas Circle.
Delays Georgetown Bypass.
Capt Whitehurst suggests for con-
struction in the fiscal years 1910 to
ls43 the suggested new highway
crossing for Rock Greek Park, esti-
mating the cost at $500, 900. The
proposed bypass, express highway for
Georgetown, also is suggested for the
l94O-l943 period, at cost TO ST.
800 1000.
Other special engineering projects
which he suggests be studied for in
clusion in the five-year program are /:
Grade separation at Fourteenth and
Water streets southwest, including