Evening star., 1937-03-12
ALLEN, AST0UNDED
|BYCAR TOLL, BACKS
SUbWAYS SURVEY
Urges Congress Approval of
Appropriation to Study
Feasibility.
DEEMS UNDERGROUND
SYSTEM A CERTAINTY
Uncertain on Financing-"Would
Have to Be Determined"
He Declares.

Declaring that the traffic accident
toll taken in the District has become
appalling" Commissioner George E.
Allen has thrown his support to the
request for a survey of a proposed ex-
tensive system of street car subWays
Senator Capper, Republican, of
Kansas, joined in favoring the pro-
posed study of the subject.
The day is bound to come when
subways will be the only answer to the
traffic problem here" said the Kansan,
who is ranking minority member of
the Senate District Committee.
He suggested, for example. that a
subway from the congested downtown
section to the vicinity of Dupont Cir
Gle would relieve traffic conditions on
the surface streets. The Senator be-
lieves, however, the first step should
be legislation authorizing compre-
hensive survey of the problem.
AS to how the suggested expensive
subway projects could be financed,
Allen said, Il don't know. That would
have to be determined
Specifically. he urged that Congress
approve a bill, fostered at the past
session by Chairman Norton of the
House District Committee, for an ap-
preparation for an investigation of the
feasibility Of subways and their cost
TT appears certain to me that Wash
ington is going to have to have SUBJ
ways some time" said Allen. Il be-
lieve we should have an official engi-
neering study made now so that we
may have better estimates of the cost,
a gauge of feasibility and the best
possible routes charted."
Two Subways Suggested.
Allen suggested that it might be
found desirable to build a subway all
the way from Calvert Bridge to Con-
stitution avenue. generally along the
line of Connecticut avenue, and an
other one from downtown Washing
ton to the Capitol
Allen said the alternative to sub
ways, if traffic congestion continues to
increase, would be the construction OF
elevated railroads for street cars, and
he ruled them out of consideration as
being undesirable for Washington from
an esthetic point of view.
In the past discussion Of subways,
some engineers have warned that the
cost of subway construction and main
tenance in downtown Washington
would run exceptionally high because
Of the low elevation. the lack Of solid
foundations and the problems of drain
age of water.
Il am not an engineer" said Alien,
"but there are solutions to such prob
lens They have been met in other
places
Impetus Given Survey.
Impetus was given to the proposed
survey of subWays by the action of a
Special Committee of the Board of
Trade which Wednesday urged direc-
tors of the trade body to campaign for
an appropriation for an engineering
investigation of subway proposals. The
committee held that the Federal Gov
ernment should pay majority Of the
cost of subways, since much Of the
downtown congestion is caused by the
concentration of Government housing
in the Government triangle and
rectangle.
The Norton bill, considered at the
past session, called for an appropria-
ton of S25, 900 Of District funds fol-
a subway survey. 1t failed of passage
in either House This bill was Endorsed
by the Commissioners, who held that
the survey would prove valuable, al.
though they did not 60 so far as tt
commit themselves to subway con.
struction. Much the same view has
been taken in the past by the Public
Utilities Commission At one time tina
commission suggested that subway.
were problem of the future.