Evening star., 1940-04-14
First OF q Sertes.)
By JOHN d. LEONARD.

BY JOHN d. LEONARD.
About June l, most residents OF
the metropolitan area of Prince
Georges County (Md.) will wake up
one morning at a new address.
Overnight, the Washington system
Of street names and house numbers
Will be put in use beyond the Dis
trict line northward to Branch
vile road and through the Capitol
Heights-Seat Pleasant section in the
southern part Of the area.
The new plan eliminates a three
year effort of the Maryland-Na-
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission to provide a uniform
street system throughout the neigh
boring communities and eliminate
confusion over duplication of street
names and house numbers.
The project has been worked out
under direction of Robert M. Wat
kins. member of the park and plan
ming commission, and Ben Dyer,
Hyattsville civil engineer. It was
hoped to put the system into opera
ton on May / but certain changes
In details have necessitated extend
ing the date. Mr.. Watkins estimates
that the project will cost about
$4,000.
Still Subject TO Change.
The plan is still subject to
change, according to Mr.. Watkins.
Helpful suggestions and criticisms
are welcomed from residents of the
area. Committees representing the
various communities have been or
will be appointed by mayors and
town councils to iron out any ma jor
grievances. II a particular group of
persons objects to the new name
picked for a street on which they
live, their suggestion for another
will be given full consideration.
Mr.. Watkins said. adding that such
suggestions should conform to the
general plan.
AT present forms informing resi-
dents Of their new address are being
delivered to homes in the area.
These forms suggest that criticisms
should be made in writing to the
commission.
The commission hopes to make
the final plan as flexible as is con-
sistent with the general program so
fai as allowing communities in out
lying subdivisions to retain or adopt
Names" Mr.. Watkins said. of
course, duplication of names must be
avoided and a name suggested
should conform to the alphabetical
sequence"
The general outline Of the new
plan is comparatively simple, ac-
cording to Mr.. Dyer, who has been
responsible for the technical as
poets of the project.
All thoroughfares running north
and south. or predominantly in
these directions. will be designated
as numbered avenues and co-ordi-
mated with similarly numbered
streets in the District. Short
streets running parallel to these
thoroughfares will be termed
"places" For example, Wine ave-
me in Hyattsville will become
Forty-second avenue, and Avon
avenue will be Forty second place.
Alphabetical Sequence.
Streets running east and west will
be named in alphabetical sequence,
and likewise co-ordinated with
Washington streets of the same
name Short streets running para
llel will be known as roads.
At the same time a new set of
house numbers has been worked out
to conform with those in the Dis
trict. With the exception of a small
area in Capitol Heights, most homes
in the Metropolitan Area will have
a four-digit number. Avenues and
places will have even numbers on
the west or left side with odd num-
bers on the right or east side. pro-
crossing northward. Streets and
roads WI have even numbers on
the north sid. and odd numbers on
the south, progressing eastward.
Washington streets which have
been extended into the Metropolitan
Area as rule have been ex-
tended through the third alphabet,
extending eastward to the intersec-
ton Of University drive and the
Washington Baltimore boulevard in
College Park.
Beyond this point and to the
north. streets running east and west
in College Park have been designated
with college names in alphabetical
sequence. In the area Of Berwyn,
Daniels Park and Hollywood the re-
mainder of the College Park Sc
quence is carried out with Indian
names.
Mr.. Dyer said Washington desig-
nations are strong" names not
easily confused with others.
AS examples he cited Patterson,
Randolph, Sheridan and Tucker
man streets. On the other hand,
Mr.. Dyer described Wine avenue in
Hyattsville, Spa street in Cottage
City and Sheets street In Cedarcroft
as weak" names. He contended
wine" can be easily confused with
wye" or Vine"
Law Enacted In 1887.
The Park and Planning Commist
sion was authorized to rename
streets and renumber houses in the
Metropolitan Area of the county by
an act of the Maryland Legislature
in 1887.
The commission appointed Albert
e. Bryan. ST., of Takoma Park to
draft q plan covering the area ex-
tending from Beltsville to Capitol
Heights and eastward to Lanham
and Ardmore. .-
In addition to working out the
program, Mr.. Bryan drew up . re-
port which revealed that only 126
names were being used to designate
more than 400 streets.
The report also showed that some
of the names had been duplicated rs
many as 13 times. Popular names
used from three to nine times In
clude Baltimore, Central, Columbia,
Maple, Washington Woodland,
Spring, Pine, Laurel, Franklin, Cedar
and Calvert.