Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-02
Officials Assure
Study Of Protest
On Underpass
New Sixteenth Street
Committee Demands
Public Hearing

As q campaign was launched by
property owners against the pro-
posed Sixteenth street underpass at
Scott Circle, District Engineer Com
missioner David McCoach, jr., today
announced the Commissioners would
give careful consideration" to any
changes in plans or counterpart
posals the DIRECTORS wish to make.
The campaign was authorized at
a meeting last night under spon-
sorship of the Sixteenth Street Citi-
zens' Committee. Counsel was en-
gagged and the committee planned
today to demand a public hearing
on their protest.
A resolution of the committee
against the Sixteenth street under
pass, however, contained a reserva-
ton that If some kind of an under
pass were found necessary there it
should be in the line of Massa-
chusetts avenue and not Sixteenth
street.
Commissioner McCoach did not
commit himself on public hearing.
F. B. Steele Elected Chairman.
Frank B. Steele, secretary-regis-
trar general of the National Society
of the Sons of the American Revo-
luton, at whose national head
quarters the meeting was held at
1927 Sixteenth street NV, near
the circle, was elected chairman Of
the committee Albert Brick, at
torney, with Offices in the Southern
Building, was elected counsel and
secretary of the committee.
Copies of the resolution will be
turned over to the Commissioners
today by Mr.. Brick, who with Mr..
Steele, plans to pursue the matter
from all angles possible.
Warnings were sounded that in
other parts of the city residents had
had projects put over on them"
such as the underpass at Thomas
Circle, and there was danger that
the Scott Circle underpass would be
put over before nearby property
owners had chance to stop it.
Chairman Steele at the opening
asked if any officials from the Dis
trict Building had attended in re-
spouse to his invitation. There was
no answer to his question.
The project, it was explained by
Mr.. Steele, already was under way
In preliminary stages, with machin-
cry making test borings around the
circle and traffic being counted on
streets leading into the circle. There
is $4,000 available now for plans,
he said. Furthermore, he quoted
commissioner Hazen as saying
funds were available" for construc-
ton. Mr.. Brick explained further
athat Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, direc-
tor of highways, had said the prof.
.ect was to be built under a Federal
aid system, with money from the
Bureau of Public. Roads being
matched with District of Columbia
funds already in hand from the
gasoline tax.
Objections to Resolution.
The resolution was offered by DR..
William B. Ingersoll of 1920 Six
I tenth street NV. 1t was opposed
only by Miss Dorothy Rynex of 1915
Massachusetts, avenue and Miss
Elsie Green of 1925 Massachusetts
avenue. At one point in the discus
sion against Sixteenth street I'M
( derpass Miss Green declared: I'VE
don't want it under Massachusetts,
avenue either"
+ C. E. Simmons of ITO Massachu-
.setts avenue NV, however, declared:
.'"It would be a foolish engineering
{ blunder to put it under Sixteenth
street, but if you want to expedite
traffic put the underpass under
Massachusetts, avenue, not under
Sixteenth street" He predicted there
would be some kind of an underpass
. at Scott Circle and that traffic would
be impeded or stopped there for a
year during construction. 'The
Thomas Circle deal was put over on
-the people," he warned, declaring
District officials were planning still
more underpasses and even more
new circles "for our children
to build underpasses under" He
thought the city needed a new
trafflc director, new highway
director and "if necessary, new Dis
trict Commissioners"
!. Following his speech. DR.. Inger-
soil modified his resolution from its
original form, which had fatty OPP
posed any underpasses at Scott
7 Circle, and demanded public hear
ing.
h Sees Beauty MARRIED.
& Chairman Steele charged the Six
teenth street underpass would be a
dissertation" of the circle and
would spoil one of the most beauti-
full circles in the city" on a street
leading directly to park in front
Iof the White House. He complained
that before 6 am. every morning
country trucks with noisy cattle,
pigs. and chickens woke him up
/ turning at the circle heading out
Rhode Island avenue for Balti-
more
I; Howard Phillips of the Jefferson
Apartments challenged the 1886 re-
port of Traffic Director William A.
/ Van Duzer and Capt. Whitehurst
/ that there was 3 per cent more
traffic on Sixteenth street than on
Massachusetts avenue. He claimed
the avenue traffic now is heavier.
He recommended charging the &C
ltual circle street surface devoted to
/ traffic by eliminating center side
walk, traffic islands and setting
shack the curbs. Better traffic light
control also would help solve the
| problem, he said.
|, The city already has surveyed
trees to be cut down, one woman In
| the audience reported.
Il L. r. Hawkins, manager of the
\ Martinique Hotel, declared, I'VE
/ don't need any underpass at all.
There is plenty of space without it."
Il E. Hilton Jackson, attorney,