Evening star., 1941-11-30
Subway Parking
In Mall Urged
By House Group
Potomac Tunnel
And Subway Survey
Also Asked


mounting traffic death toll re-
Gently brought Capital traffic
problem to the fore Commits
stoners see long time engineering
remedy in Whitehurst s44,O00,O0O
h,ghudy program but sought
more immediate remedies through
stv1cter regulations and legis1d-
tion. Both House and Senate
subcommittee heard testimony
on rays to improve the situation.
Bill hiking gas tar cents to
finance Whitehurst problem has
passed House. Other proposed
legislation Uould permit triroe
parking lots TO reduce dountoUn
parking.
The Traffic Subcommittee OF the
House District Committee yester-
day recommended municipallv-
owned parking lots underground in
the Mall, subway and underground
highway survey, and a federallv
financed vehicular tunnel under the
Potomac to the new War or Navy
Buildings in Virginia.
In approving a bill authorizing
the District to establish off-street
parking facilities, the subcommittee
put forward the Mall subterranean
proposal as an alternative to the
suggestion of fringe lots suggested
by the Commissioners and the
Whitehurst highway development
program. The fringe" lots would
have bordered the business area with
cheap transportation downtown
under the plan of city officials.
Both in his report and in subse-
quent interviews Highway Director
H. c. Whitehurst turned thumbs
the Mall, citing the cost as being
prohibitive. From fringe lots
where land values are less. he en-
visioned a l5-cent cost to the all
day parker, with a l0-cent storage
fee and 5 cents for a shuttle bus
downtown.
Whitehurst Warns Of Cost.
Our study does not indicate the
desirability of constructing UNDER
ground parking garages even on
public land" Capt Whitehurst's re-
port declared. The cost of provid-
ing and operating such facilities is
too high to justify the undertaking
and would. in our judgment, prove
economically unsound"
The report showed that Of some
$4,000 public and private employees
questioned, more than $4,000 drive
to the central area in their own cars.
| Suggestions have been made that
the per car cost of providing for
these below ground would be pro-
libitive
The subcommittee. however, con-
tended the subterranean plan would
be less costly than the so-called
fringe lot proposal because the Fed
eral Government already owns the
Mall
Engineers have raised the issue
that water conditions in the District
area would probably distort the cost
of subways or subterranean parking
lots here by requiring expensive
pumping facilities and other protec-
ton
The subcommittee action was
disclosed in formal report on the
result of traffic study it made sew
eral months ago in connection with
public hearings on the bill. Most of
the recommendations in the final
report followed those verbally given
to the District Committee by Sub
committee Chairman Schultz follow
ing the traffic survey.
The written report, however, crltl-
cizes both Federal and District Off
cials for failure progressively to ap-
ply anything more than temporary
remedies" for relief of the acute
traffic congestion.
Subway Recommended.
The recommendation we're:
/. That the commissioners i'm
mediately proceed with a survey for
both a municipality owned and
operated underground rapid transit
system and subterranean highways
for motor vehicles.
q That all parking be prohibited
from 7 am. to 7 pm. on major
thoroughfares" in the area bounded
by Seventh street NV. on the east,
Seventeenth street NV. on the west,
Constitution avenue on the south,
and X street NV. on the north.
3. That the Commissioners take
steps eventually designed to abolish
parking all night throughout the
District, by requiring, as the first
move, that all future construction
provide off-street parking accom-
modations for occupants.
I. That the Public Utilities Com
mission make a study and report
to the House District Committee on
the advisability of requiring inter-
urban buses to have off-street ter
minals.
5. That the Commissioners take
steps to coordinate all highway
and traffic activities under single
head. responsible only to them.
6. That a vehicular tunnel,
financed entirely with Federal funds.
be constructed under the Potomac
River with outlets on the Virginia
side in the vicinity of buildings now
(See TRAFFIC, Page A-32)