Evening star., 1941-04-25

pment that we should face the situ-
alton squarely and consider an in
crease in the gas tax item of the
highway fund revenue account"
On the basis of a 1-cent increase
in the gasoline tax, he reported, it
is estimated that IL years would
be required to carry out the pro-
gram BY boosting the tax still
another cent, however, he added, the
period could be reduced to eight
years.
1T is our considered judgment"
Capt. Whitehurst stated. that the
rate in the District of Columbia
should be increased to 4 cents and
an earnest endeavor made to meet
the traffic and transportation situa-
ton with an adequate solution OF
the problem"
Widening Already Under Way.
The director explained that some
of the improvements included in
his program, particularly street
widening and changes to main thor
oughfares, already are under con-
SIIuCllOIl dS q pau Vi SuiiShe W
yelopments.
The proposed elevated highway
along K street NV, one of the
most heavily used thoroughfareS of
the city, has been considered for
some time. When the new grade
separation structure was built at
K street and Rock Greek parkway,
it was designed with the idea that
a SuperStructure could be added and
that ramp connections could be
made with Key Bridge.
There will be five main radial
trunk highways under Capt. White
hurSt's program. These will extend
from the central business area to
the southeast and southwest Sec
tions east of the Anacostia River,
to the northeast section reached by
the K street route, to the north
west section west of Wisconsin ave-
nue. and Key Bridge, to the north
west section east of Wisconsin ave-
nue. and west of Rock Creek Park.
and to the northwest section east OF
Rock Greek.
The preliminary estimate on the
Potomac River crossing at AleXan-
dria calls for a two-lane tube for
two-way traffic, with approaches of
adequate capacity for expansion. 1t
would extend from Alexandria to
Shepherds Landing S. E. and would
form part of suggested bypass
route linking Virginia roads with
highways north and west out of
the District Engineers predict that
the daily traffic volume in the tunnel
will reach 10000 vehicles within a
short time.
In number of other suggestions
for safety and relief of traffic con-
gestion, offered by the highway
director outside of his major pro-
gram he urged first of all that every
street car loading zone be replaced
with an approved type of platform,
regardless of who pays the bill
These death traps should be
replaced in the immediate future
even at the sacrifice of other work"
he said. The number of street car
loading points or stops should be
reduced to the minimum consistent
with proper service. Generally
speaking, there are too many stops
for both buses and street cars to
permit expeditions mass transpor-
tation service"
Pedestrian Islands Urged.
He also urged the construction
of pedestrian islands of an improved
type at intersections on all arterial
highways or boulevard streets with
a roadway width of so feet or more;
the revamping of irregular inter-
sections as rapidly as funds will
permit to provide for the channeli-
zation of traffic and protection for
the pedestrian; the widening of main
highways through community COM
merclal areas so as to provide an
additional traffic lane in each di-
rection wherever the street width
permits.
He further indorsed the widening
of intersecting highways by setting
back the curbs near the intersec-
ton: extension of the one-way
street or traffic flow system, and
the systematic and early improve
ment and extension of the road
ways of the major parks and reser-
vations of the District.
Capt. Whitehurst explained that
some of his recommendations were
made on the basis of data which
never before had been available,
but which had been brought to
hand by the recent exhaustive sur
vey. Some of this revealed, for in
stance, that during the summer sea-
son approximately 10000 cars and
trucks with other than District
license plates cross the boundary
into the District of Columbia daily.
The survey showed further that
during the summer bridges across
the Potomac River carry an average
daily traffic flow of 110,535 vehicles
and that on some days the flow
exceeds 125,000 vehicles. The daily
flow across the Anacostia River was
8O,7O5.
Chain Bridge Used Little.
"Our counts" Capt. Whitehurst
reported indicate that Chain
Bridge is not being utilized to any
where near its useful capacity, prob
ably due in large part to made
quate approa hes and roads leading
thereto. particularly on the Vir-
ginia side"
More than $4,000 cars per day,
according to the survey, pass
through the intersections of Consti-
tuition avenue with Pennsylvania
avenue, Twelfth, Fourteenth and
Fifteenth streets, and more than
$1,000 vehicles per day pass through
the intersection of Seventeenth
street and Constitution avenue. A
large majority of the heavy-trafflc
intersections carry a peak-hour load
of 10 per cent of the 24-hour total.
On Pennsylvania avenue NV. be-
tween Constitution avenue and Fiji
teenth street, distance of about
a mile, the volume of traffic is in
excess of $4,000 vehicles per day,
while between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets it exceeds $4,000 per day.