Evening star., 1941-06-27
Planners Demand
Direct Action on
Parking Problem
Conference Proposed
With Transit Lines
To Improve Facilities
By NELSON M. SHEPARD.

trict and Federal agencies looking
to satisfactory adjustment of Wash
ington's No. problem of the mo-
ment-downtown parking and traf-
&c. congestion.
Contending that better mass
transportation facilities provide a
cure, the Commission planned to
call conference at an early date of
the District and suburban transit
companies and all other agencies
directly concerned in dealing with
traffic problems.
1t also recommended that the
District Commissioners submit at
once to Congress legislation creating
a motor vehicle and parking agency
IN accordance with the proposals
contained in the Whitehurst report
dealing with the establishment of
parking lots fringing the downtown
area and served by low-cost shuttle
buses.
Action Urged at Once.
Devoting the entire afternoon
Yesterday to these problems, the
commission decided that action,
rather than a continued flow of
words, was needed now to bring
some form of relief to long patient
public.
The commission looked with dis
favor" on proposals made by the
Navy Department to turn over areas
of West Potomac Park and the
Monument grounds to serve as all
day parking lots for Government
employees. Chairman Frederic A.
Delano joined in voting for the reso-
luton despite the fact that earlier
In the week he had recommended
the use of the polo grounds in West
Potomac Park for 1,500 automo-
biles.
AS remedial measures, the COM
mission urged drastic decrease in
the use of individual automobiles,
but admitted this could hardly be
brought about unless mass trans
portation facilities were greatly i'm
proved. Increased use Of parking
meters in the downtown area and
the immediate acquisition of land In
the Southwest and Northwest sec
tions to serve temporarily as park
ing lots also were recommended.
Whitehurst Attends Meeting.
Highway Director H. G. White
hurst, author of the report dealing
with the Districts traffic, highway
and parking problems, attended the
meeting.
At its last monthly session, the
commission had approved this re-
port in general. but yesterday it spe-
cifcally recommended for immediate
legislative action those sections per-
tanning to transportation and fringe
parking.
John Nolen, jr.. director Of plan
ming, said it was planned to call the
transportation conference at the
earliest possible date. In addition to
transit officials. he said the District
Trattc and Highway Departments,
the Budget Bureau, National Cap
ital Parks Office, Public Building
Administration, Defense Housing
Co-ordinator and Civil Service Com
mission would be asked to send rep
resentatives.
Legislation setting up a motor We
hicle and parking agency recon-
mended in the Whitehurst report,
il was said, is necessary for cor trol
of the suggested fringe parking lots.
Corporation Counsel Richmond B.
Keech, it was understood. is pre-
pared to draft such a bill at his
earliest convenience.
Underground Lots Rejected.
The commission frowned upon
numerous suggestions for under
ground parking areas for automo-
biles as too costly. No proposals OF
this kind are made, however, In the
Whitehurst report.
Studies have indicated it would
cost approximately $500 per car
to construct underground parking
areas, making it prohibitlve. Mr..
Nolan said the Commission could
buy all the land needed for such
purposes in the southwest and
northwest for less than S. per
square foot. as compared with an
estimated $3.50 per square foot re-
ouired to park below surface. The
subway structures would have little
value as bomb shelters, 1t was said,
because of the water content in the
soil.
Thomas S. Settle, secretary OF
the Commission, said it would cost
about s5,0O0,0OO to buy property
authorized for acquisition in the
southwest and about 100000 in
the northwest. The movement to
ACQUIRE Federal sites in these sec
tions began in 1925 when Congress
authorized eventual Government
ownership Of the land. BY now the
Government has acquired all 26
acres, 1t was said.
Half of Land Acquired.
The areas involved are the sec
ton generally south of E street
NV, between Nineteenth street and
the Potomac River and the South
west section bordered by Maryland,
Delaware, Virginia and Independ-
ence avenues, from Twelfth street
to the Capitol.
About so per cent of the au-
thorized areas already have been
acquired and in recent months, the
Railroad Transportation and Social
Security Building and the new War
Department Building, among others,
have been erected on them.
The commission believes the ac-
duisition of the remainder of the
land in these areas would serve a
multiple purpose. Fringe parking
lots could be built to relieve the
downtown problem. Meanwhile, it
was said, temporary Government
buildings could be erected on some
Of the sites to relieve the congestion
of Government Office space until
permanent buildings can be planned.
Park Areas Closed to Cars.
The commission S resolution, aimed
at diverting automobile lots from
the downtown parks, was adopted at
the suggestion of E. A. Demaray,
associate director Of the National