Evening star., 1940-07-09
Street WIDENING
Defended After
Tree Criticism
Whitehurst Denies
lndiscriminute
Destruction

OF highways, saying he dlsllkes as
much as any one else to see trees
destroyed, today reiterated that he
would welcome any suggestions for
relieving traffic congestion on Wash
ington's main thoroughfares that
woulC not involve widening the
streets.
His statement came in reply to
criticism on the floor of the House
yesterday against destruction of the
city's shade trees to make way for
wider streets and traffic under
passes. Somewhat mystified by the
attack, Capt. Whitehurst posed this
question:
How can we keep pace with
Washingtons ever-increasing vehic-
ular traffic if we don't widen streets
which carry the main burden?"
In many instances when street.
widening project has become neces-
sary, the highway director said, 1t
has also been necessary to cut down
some shade trees.
Indiscrimination Denied.
"We don't like to destroy trees,
and we don't do it indiscriminately,
he said. Many times, however, the
demands of traffic dictate a street
widening that also means trees must
be cut down. We have been forced
to widen many arterial highways
to avoid congestion. To my mind,
this is in the interest of safety as
we'll as the faster movement of trail
f1c, because congestion creates po-
tential traffic hazards"
Whenever a street is widened and
trees cut down the trees are replaced
land usually with species better
adapted to street use" Capt. White
hurst said. He also estimated that
about half of the trees that have
been removed to make way for wider
streets were in bad condition or
were replants. A great many were
street use, he said.
Shafer Heads Criticism.
The criticism on the House floor
yesterday was led by Representative
Shafer, Republican, of Pennsylvania,
who said he had observed that
number of trees were being cut down
on I street NV. between Thirteenth
and Fifteenth streets. He said Dis
trict authorities should be careful
not to let commercialism destroy the
beauty of the city.
DR.. George F. Bowerman, public
librarian, today joined in protesting
the cutting down of trees. He said
he was appalled," at the destruc-
ton of wonderful oaks"
I'VE want a big CITY," he said,
'and traffic has to move, of course,
but I can't understand why it is
necessary to sacrifice so many trees
just for traffic.
1T is hard enough to make trees
grow. especially in the small plots
usually allotted to them along the
streets. Trees are among the things
which make this city beautiful. 1t
Is too bad to have the city spoiled
by the desecration of cutting down
so many trees"
Even the new ones which are
planted to take the place of those
destroyed, he said, don't have much
chance"
When he retires October l, DR..
Bowerman said he might be
prompted to devote himself to a
movement Ito save the city" from
the tree destruction.
Capt. Whitehurst said the I street
widening project was authorized
specifically by Congress in the 194l
appropriation act He admitted a
number of beautiful shade trees on
the side of the street next to Frank
lin Park would have to be removed
but added:
The congestion in that area made
1t absolutely necessary to widen I
streets there-H, K and L--already
were saturated with traffic"
Answers Statement.
Replying to Representative Shat
er's statement that plans to place
the proposed underpass at Scott
Circle in the line of Sixteenth street
instead of in the line of Massa-
chusetts avenue would destroy a
number of trees, Capt. Whitehurst
pointed out that trees also would
Louo 70 Lo ro,,ouaI If tho ,,oder.
pass were built in the line of Massa-
chusetts avenue.
The highway director said traffic
officials figure that each lane of
traffic in the congesteed area can
carry about 800 vehicles an hour.
Pointing out that many downtown
intersections carry as many as 5000
to 5000 vehicles an hour, the high
day director said:
"You can figure out for yourself
how many lanes of traffic are need
ed for such load-and then you'll
know why we have to widen the
main highways"
Four Main Projects.
All the street. widening projects
this year were made necessary by
constantly increasing congestion
Capt. Whitehurst said. There were
four main ones, all involving re-
moval of shade trees.
I street is being widened from 81
feet to Sc feet. Thirteenth street
between Monroe street and Spring
road was widened from 80 to 3e
feet. M street S.W and Sc. from
Water street S.W. to Fourth street
Sc. was widened from 80 to A feet
and M street NV. from New Hamp-
shire avenue to Twenty-sixth street
was widened from 40 to 56 feet.
Last year the biggest widening
projects were on Twelfth street be-
tween New York and Massachusetts
avenues and Seventeenth street
from K street to Rhode Island ave-
nue..
Capt. WhitehurSt recalled thai