Evening star., 1941-10-29
Whitehurst Sets
Fringe Parking
Cost at Million
Lot Would Be Put
Near Every Trunk
Rood, He Says
By JAMES E. CHINN.

director OF highways, today told the
special Senate subcommittee study
ing the Districts traffic problems.
1t is planned to tap the specia
highway fund, made up of revenue
from motor vehicle fees and the
gasoline tax, to finance the project;
and operate them until they are
leased.
Capt. Whitehurst disclosed one OF
two lots would be located in each
sector" serviced by a trunk high
way.
1T might take S1OOO,0O0 to set up
the fringe parking areas, depending
on the rapidity with which they are
established and leased" the high
way director testified.
A bill under consideration by the
subcommittee authorizes the Com
missioners to establish the lots as
one contribution toward solution of
the traffic congestion problem. II
further provides for creation of a
parking authority to control the
lOJo dllO lCdSC lIlClll " pI ~ dlC SOLl-
Germs. The authority also would
fix the amount of fees to be charged
1t has been intimated that the fee
for all-day parking should not eX-
ceed 80 cents.
General Situation Reviewed.
Capt Whitehurst began his testi-
mony with a discussion of the gen.
eral traffic situation as pictured in
the highway planning report on
which the long-range $4,000 900
improvement program is predicated
He also reviewed some of the prof.
ects listed in the report and the con-
templated date of their completion
These included several proposed
trunk line highways.
incidentally, the highway direc-
tor said traffic check in the sum-
mer of 1910 showed that the aver
age daily traffic flow over bridges
crossing the Potomac was 110.535,
and across the Anacostia Bridge,
80,705.
Taking up the fringe parking lot
bill. Capt. Whitehurst declared the
highway planning survey convinced
District officials that there are en-
tirely too few spaces available, both
on and off street, for the Short
time parker.
Since the Commissioners recon-
mended establishment of munich
pally parking lots, Capt.
Whitehurst said, highway officials
have received a number of sugges-
tions for solving the parking prob
lem. They ranged. he declared,
from the issuance of an annual
parking permit at fee of 500 a
year which would entitle the holder
to park in any available space, at
any time, to construction of decks
on the Potomac bridges on which
cars could be parked
d. c. Problem Seen Worst.
Capt. Whitehurst described the
parking problem here as more diff
cult than in other cities and he re-
garded it a duty of District officials
to the public to solve it.
"What we have tried to do" he
said, rs to present scheme that
will satisfy the demand OF the
largest number of people"
He opposed proposals for ban on
all parking in the downtown busi-
ness section, at least until adequate
off-street facilities are provided.
I'VE can't say a motorist can't
park downtown until some provision
is made for his car" he declared.
Commissioner John Russell Young
making his first appearance before
the subcommittee. expressed the
opinion the proposed highway pro-
gram is the answer" to nearly all
the Districts traffic problems. These
problems, he said, are largely engi-
neering in character and the sooner
the program is started, quicker will
be the results.
Chairman Burton inquired if Mr..
Young cared to make any comment
on contributions the mass trans
portation companies could make
toward improving existing condi-
tions. The Commissioner replied he
had no statement to make on that
subject at this time.
At that point, Senator Burton an
nounced he planned to call repre-
sentatives of the transit companies
before the subcommittee, since mass
transportation is a part of the whole
traffic problem.
Maj. Edward j. Kelly, acting su-
perintendent of police, told the sub
committee he would like to see the
time come when all parking down.
town is prohibited" He expressed
belief such a restriction would not
be detrimental to business estab-
lishments because majority of
those who park downtown are either
Government workers or employees OF
the business houses.
"If parking is elimanted altogether
downtown" he declared, Il believe
we will get better results"
Maj. Kelly said he, like Capt.
Whitehurst, had observed that all
day parkers pushed from the con-
gested section, are spreading into
the fringe areas, consequently de-
preciating property values in resi-
dental sections.
Il have noticed" said Maj. Kelly,
"that Maryland drivers park far up
on Georgia avenue and take a bus
downtown"
Heavy Traffic Here Shown.
Traffic Director William Van
Duzer produced an array of statistics
showing the speed with which traffic
moves through the congested section
of Washington in comparison with IA
other large cities.
First, he said a check about year
ago disclosed that 372,000 motor We
hicles of all types passed through the
business section here a day in r.
hour period from 7 am. to pm, or
a far greater number than moved
through similar areas in the same
period in Chicago, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Gin
cinnati. Only one city, Los Angeles,
showed a greater volume of traffic