Evening star., 1938-05-29
PLANNERS VISION
PARKWAYSYSTEM
Link With Highways and
BYPASS for D. c. Also
OreSeen.

SSS~Is
Creation Of great co-ordinated
system Of parkways and highways
to the east of Washington. providing
swift, easy and scenic access to the
Capital from the northeast and east
and yet permitting through traffic
to bypass the city proper, is fore
seen by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission as result
of recent developments.
The commission now is consider
ing plans for tying in three major
proposals for much-needed parkway
highway improvements in the east
ern portion of the District and be-
yond, in the area from Baltimore to
the Potomac River, according to John
Nolen, jr, commission planning di-
rector.
These three projects are the new
highway from Baltimore into Vir-
ginia, now in an engineering design
stage under congressional authoriza-
ton; the Washington Baltimore
parkway, the District portion of which
already has been authorized in the
Anacostia River Valley, and the
Washington New York national
highway" proposed in bill introduced
in the House recently by Representa-
tive Drew of Pennsylvania.
General Plan for Area.
That these three major projects
may be co-ordinated into the general
plan for the Baltimore Washington
Annapolis area is seen as possibility
and means of tying them together
into unified plan are being consid-
cred by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. in CO.
operation with the Maryland State
Planning Commission and State
Roads Commission.
| The commission sees the creation
! Of the proposed parkway between
Washington and Baltimore as more
immediate necessity than the build
/ ing of new Decline boulevard"
The District portion of this boule-
vard, along the Anacostia River, has
been authorized, and commission
members during their May confer
ence Friday discussed with Clarence
P. Taylor. director Of highway plan
ming for the Maryland Roads Com
mission, coordination of the Mary
land-District plans
| The Maryland Roads Commission
now is proceeding with engineering
studies of the new highway crossings
at the Patapsco and Potomac Rivers.
Both projects were authorized by Con-
gress in a bill approved by President
Roosevelt on April and were author
lied by the Maryland Legislature last
year.
Bridge or Tunnel.
The Patapsco River crossing, near
of bridge or a tunnel. under terms
of the authorization. The Potomac
River crossing is to be bridge from
the vicinity of Ludlows Ferry Charles
County, to the vicinity of Dahlgren,
! Va. Both would be toll crossings,
under the authority of the Mary
land State Roads Commission.
Somewhere IN the Washington
area there must be link connecting
the National Capital with the road
south from Baltimore across the
lower Potomac" Mr.. Nolan pointed
out. The Washington Baltimore
Parkway may be the means of pro-
| viding such a link
The parkway also might be used
either as connecting link or as the
Washington approach for the WASH
| ington-New York national highway
proposed in the Drew bill, Mr.. Nolan
believes. The parkway would utilize
portions of lands already owned by
the Federal Government at Green
belt, in the national agricultural re-
search center at Betsville, and at
Fort Meade
The proposed parkway would be
Handicapped or pass through unspoiled
natural terrain and would provide a
beautiful scenic approach to Wash
ington free from hustle and traffic
confusion of industrial business or
heavily settled residential areas. The
proposed national highway of the
Drew plan, on the other hand, prob
ably would become another such high
way at United States No. l. lined with
gasoline stations, roadside inns end
taverns and busy feeder roads from
adjacent communities, it is feared.
100000 Population.
In report published last November,
the Maryland State Planning Com
mission pointed out that since the
time, a century and half ago. when
Maj. Pierre Charles L 'Enfant prepared
plans for the city of Washington, the
then virgin inter-city area between
Washington. Baltimore and Annapolis,
comprising some $500 square miles.
has been occupied by population of
more than 100000 persons.
AS result of this growth, it was
pointed out. problems of land use and
public utilities have become acute.
The seat of the Nations Capital,
the capital of the State of Maryland,
and one of the largest cities in the
country deserve more advance think
ing than has so far characterized the
region" the commission reported
such thinking must result in more
than paper plans and must be suf-
ficiently practical to appeal to the
canny public mind. In addition. 1t
must give more emphasis to preserving
and developing for later generations,
an inter-city area of which the Nation
and the State may be justly proud"
1t is with this view in mind that the
National Capital Park and Planning
l.