Evening star., 1941-09-30
TradeBoardUnit
Weighs Plans
To Ease Traffic
Parking Subcommittee
ToConsider Bill for
Off-Street Facilities

The Board of Trades Traffic Com
mittee, seeking concrete suggestions
on how it might aid in solving the
Districts traffic congestion problem,
had host of ideas to null over to-
day following a conference with
Commissioner Guy Mason and mu-
nicipal traffic and highway officials.
The committees subcommittee on
parking is expected to meet soon to
consider bill proposed by the Com
missioners to authorize purchase of
property for off-street parking and
to permit installation of additional
mechanical parking meters, as well
as the plan now under official con-
sideration to ban the loading or un-
loading of commercial vehicles on
major arteries during the morning
and afternoon rush hours.
Support for these and other plans
was urged on the Traffic Committee
at the luncheon conference with
city officials yesterday at O'Don-
nell's Restaurant. At the same time,
some criticism was voiced by COM
mittee members of the rush-hour
parking ban on commercial vehicles.
Park Policy Hit.
From Inspector Arthur E. Miller,
chief of the Metropolitan Police De-
partment's Traffic Division, the COM
mittee also heard criticism of the
removal Of all speed limits on major
park roads. Inspector Miller de-
clared that this policy, inaugurated
by the ONCE of National Capital
Parks about year ago, has handi-
capped the District police force in
its efforts to reduce the speeding
hazard on city streets.
Emphasizing that about half of
the Districts traffic fatalities are
caused by excessive speeding of mo-
torists, Inspector Miller declared
that police cannot depend on the
motorists judgment to reduce his
speed when he leaves park roads
and enters city streets.
He added that sometimes they
can't tell when they pass the park
limits, but Traffic Director Will
liam A. Van Duzer interposed to
say that signs are to be erected at
all park exits notifying motorists of
the speed limit on the streets they
are entering. Commissioner Mason
told the group that. if the Commits
sloners decide to order the rush hour
parking ban on commercial vehicles.
it will be done as an experiment.
He admitted that it might cause
some inconvenience and added eX-
penSe for merchants, but added that
we can't make improvements with
out making some sacrifices"
Opening Times Cited.
When one committee member
pointed out that some stores do not
open in time to receive deliveries
before the morning rush-hour pc
riod, Commissioner Mason said he
believed it would be the Commits
sioners' duty to make a direct ap-
peal to merchants to cooperate by
opening earlier or making some such
arrangement to meet the new condi-
tions.
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, highway
director, urged support of the Com
missioners' request for off-street
parking legislation. and explained
that the Motor Vehicle Parking
Agency, proposed in the bill, would
coordinate all phases of the park
ing problem. 1t is his personal
view. he said, that the agency should
include representatives of CONNER
cial and automobile interests. park
ing lot operators and citizenry.
This plan is worthy of a full
trial" he said.
TRAFFIC Director Van Duzer, citing
the Districts alarming traffic toll
this year, and the fact that more
than half of the children injured
this year are colored, said it was
clear that more off-street play
grounds are needed for colored chill
dren. Commissioner Mason said the
Commissioners now are taking steps
to provide more playground facili-
ties.
Wider staggering Suggested.
Mr.. Van Duzer suggested that a
wider staggering Of ruSh-hour traf-
fic is needed as a result of the great
influx of Government workers since
the staggered-hour plan was placed
in operation some months ago. He
said this would tend to speed up
movement of traffic. In the con-
gested area, he pointed out. traffic
moves between 13 and 18 miles per
hour. except on F and G streets
where the rate is about 81a miles
per hour.
Inspector Miller, voicing support
for the off street parking program
said drastic measures" are needed
to speed up the flow of traffic and
reduce accidents.
He urged full support of requests
for new policemen, declaring that
he could use at least 100 more men
in traffic work alone.
Capt. WhitehurSt explained that
the District hopes to encourage pri.
vate interests to operate the pro-
posed fringe parking lots. He said
the Government is not interested in
operating parking lots, but that
neither does it want to subsidize
them. He added, however, that any
deficit in the operation of such lots
would be made up out of highway