Evening star., 1941-06-29

ClLy Is GII6dI6Ileu Will pd1 a. olo
from lack of terminal facilities?
Secondly, when s44,00O,0O0 is Sug-
gested, and reasonably SO, as the
amount to expend to facilitate the
flow of traffic, for the construction
of bridges, for wider arterial high
ways, underpasses, ramps and other
facilities, directed to the expedition
of motion, what is 1t reasonable to
assume as a fair proportion to be
allowed for the terminals of such
traffic?
Daily, 175, 900 cars, it is estimated,
enter the central area of the city,
doubtless most of them seeking, at
some point, one of the $1,000 park
ing spaces which comprise the sum
total of downtown parking facilities,
garages, parking lots, and curbs in
cluded
1t has become as great an under
taking to stop long enough to buy
postage stamp as to purchase
transportation to TimbuCtOo! 1t is
easier to get where one is going than
to stop when one gets there.
Not Innovation.
Fundamentally, it is as necessary
to be able to stop as to start and go
The amount eXpendable for one
process should, if necessary, be equal
to that for the other.
That such expenditure is not nec-
essary has been lately eXempliflec
by a neatly financed and carefully
conceived contribution to the park
ing problem, on the West Coast
Property in downtown metropolitan
areas usually represents values toe
high for the average operator Of
parking lots, or if rented at salts
factorily low rates, is usually 81
rented only until the owner car
find a lucrative sale for his prop
erty.
San Francisco's parking problem
was typical of this situation. Eight!
hotels with 10024 rooms, II pro-
fessional buildings occupied by 1874
doctors and dentists, who togethe'
with patients averaged 20, ,16O entrle'
daily, seven theaters with seating
capacity of 5000 and II retail store'
accommodating $4,000 shoppers anc
SO restaurants comprise the centra
business area.
An underground garage. as pos
sibility under Union Square va!
suggested. The underground garage
was not an innovation. 1t had founc
favor in Buenos Aires where 200(
cars are accommodated under a CEN
tral and beautiful park for 5 cent:
or a peso. An underground garage
services the auditorium in Cleve-
land. There is even diminutive
underground garage opposite the
Senate Office Building in Washing
ton.
DIR. McClintock Consulted.
San Francisco sought the council
of DR.. Miller McClintock, traffic
consultant of Yale University. DR.
McClintock approved the proiect
with the considered opinion The
lack of adequate facilities within the
area supports the advisability o.
the proposal to develop a parking
area under Union Square
the undersigned has never knowr
of a location more ideally situated
to serve large volume parking re
ouirements in a central bushes
district. ."
1t was not project to be under
taken lightly, but the business lead
ers of San Francisco had recognized
that they faced an economic stale
mate. The director manager OF tn
planning department of their neigh
Dor. Los Angeles, had condensed II
a single sentence the economic is
sues at stake in the parking i'm
passe. Confronted with growing in
accessibility. business has had u
make a choice between two alterna
tives-either move out of the con
gested area or stay and fight TO
its very existence = ." To stay ant
fight meant a titanic struggle, TO
as the California State Automo
bile Association had stated in it
official magazine, There is no shor
cut toward solution of the parking
problem. No panacea for curing
the condition =. the parking prob
lem is too deep-seated for super
fetal treatment"
That San Francisco has not un
dertaken any superficial treatmen
is evident from the folder describing
the essential features of the under
taking.
Will Cost S1,450,000.
Financed by group of San Fran
cisco's prominent business leaders
it is being constructed by widely
recognized engineers, with the com
pletion date set within 10 months
of the execution of the lease.
The cost of construction will b,
S1.450,O0O for which the R. F. c
has loaned s85O.O0O. The remain
ing 100000 has been raised b!
the sale of preferred stock to th'
business firms, already mentioned
as being especially interested il
making this area accessible to thei
motorist patrons.
Incorporated under the nam'
"Union Square Garage Corp" so
year lease has been signed according
to the terms of which a rental o
$4,000 year and s12,885 in taxes i
paid annually to the city.
On a conservative estimate tn,
preferred stock will be retired in q
years through the income derived
from parking fees and the garag
will become the property of thr
citv and county of San Francisco.
According to published specifica