Evening star., 1941-06-29
District Officials
To Draft Bill for
Parking Agency
Conference Planned
To Pool Ideas for
Meeting Problem
BY NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.

District officials tomorrow will
begin framing legal approach to
the emergency problem of remedy
ing downtown parking and traffic
congestion in Washington.
A short cut, it was said, would
be the creation of a Motor Vehicle
Parking Agency to handle this and
related problems in cooperation
with public and civic officials.
Legal authority must first be Or
tanned from Congress and with this
in view it was said the task of
framing proposed legislation will be
turned over 70 Assistant Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West. Other
legislative recommendations made in
the Whitehurst report on traffic and
parking will be incorporated in the
bill
Since the measure would contain
no specific recommendation for an
appropriation, officials said it could
be presented to both the Senate and
House District Committees al the
same time. Efforts will be made to
bring about its early consideration,
probably in the Senate first.
Conference Planned.
The initial expenses of the neT
agency or the acquisition of parking
areas, it was believed. could he
charged to the Highway Department
and the fund established for land
purchases.
Prominent Federal officials. in
cluding Secretary of the Interio~
Ickes and Secretary of the Nav
Knox. have contended that the
parking and mass transportation
problem in Washington should be
acted upon at once. The Nav
| termed it "Frankenstein monster
that threatens to impair the smooth
functlonlng Of defense agencies b.
making it increasingly difficult for
employees to get to work on time.
! Meanwhile, the National CapIt7I
Park and Planning Commission va
planning to send out as soon a.
possible call for a transportation
conference No agenda has been
! prepared, the idea apparently beirc
| to pool all the suggestions thai
transit. District and Federal officials
can make. The commission already
has held some preliminary sessions
| with transit company officers and
the general conference, it was sue-
gested, might serve the purpose Of
making some definite recommended
tions.
More Parking Meters Urged.
The proposed Motor Vehicle Park
ing Agency could be set up as a
separate activity of the District Gov
ernment or as part of an estab-
Hshed department. That is a detail
left to the legal drafters. As pro-
posed in the Whitehurst report. It
would be composed of seven mem
bers. four public officials. three
citizens and a fun-time executive
officer.
Highway Director H. c. White
hurst. author of the report. said a
section of the bill no doubt would
contain provisions for extending the
already successful system of park
ing meters in the downtown areas
He believed that at least 1.2OO addi-
tlonal meters would 90 well for a
start
Legal authority must first be
obtained to do lots of the things
that might be expected to emanate
from the transportation conference
and especially to carry out recon-
mendations for fringe parking lot,
made in the traffic report" Capt.
Whitehurst said.
Meanwhile, both Federal and Dis
trict officials are exploring the
areas fringing the central business
and Government district and even
within it that would be suitable fo-
all-day parking lots.
Low Cost Parking Stressed.
Capt. Whitehurst was emphatic j,7
stating that low-cost parking arr.
transportation from the parking lot
is absolutely necessary if the pro
posed plan is to operate successful
for the general public.
1t is the idea of District Official
that the first of these fringe park
ing areas should be operated bv the
municipality. But the District
government should not be expected
to remain in the parking business
Indefinitely" Capt. Whitehurst
said, "and should turn the areas
over to commercial concerns at the
proper time"
On the question OF charges. he
said suggestions had been made for
a 25-cent daily rate That is
equivalent to about $3.50 a month
and is more than the average car
user can afford to pay or should
be expected to pay" he explained
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