Evening star., 1941-10-19
Traffic
Continued From First Page)

must be made before the population
OF the District reaches 100000. 1t
is the only permanent solution to
the problem of traffic congestion"
Mr.. Schultz said.
Meanwhile, we can relieve the
present situation by encouraging
people to leave their cars at home
and use the mass transportation
systems. But to do this we must
guarantee them fast and comfort
able service"
Representative Schultz further re-
vealed that the subcommittee will
recommend approval of a provision
in the bill it has considered author
lzlng establishment of fringe park
ing lots, but would diSapprove a sec
ton permitting the Commissioners
to install more parking meters in the
congested section. The proposed
prohibition of all day time parking
IN the heart of the business district,
he pointed out, would automatically
call for removal of the meters now
located there.
oPPooSo ihiSS al niHSs
Personally, I am opposed to the
fringe parking lot plan" he de-
clared. But will go along with it
because if parking is banned in the
downtown section some place will
have to be provided for people who
are forced to use their cars.
Fringe parking lots are not the
answer to the traffic problem. +
believe their establishment NAV add
to rather than lessen congestion
because If the parking fee is reason
able nearly every person who owns
a car may use it to go to and from
work.
The area selected for the all dav
parking ban, Mr.. Schultz explained.
includes some of the streets where
both Vehicular and pedestrian move
ments are heavy and where traffic
jams are frequent.
The subcommittee, he declared
Will propose that the parking pro-
hibition be absolute" and that
special parking reservations around
government buildings in the area
used by Federal officials and mem
oers of Congress be abolished. Only
commercial vehicles would be al
lowed to park while loading and
unloading, and not during the
morning and afternoon rush periods
Maj. Kelly a Witness.
Hearings on the fringe parking bill
were ended after the subcommittee
heard Maj Edward j. Kelly. acting
superintendent of police, blame
busses and taxicabs for contribu-
ting to some of the Districts traffic
ailments. Other witnesses at the
hnal hearing included E. D. Merrill
president of the Capital Transit
Co., Traffic Director William A.
Van Duzer, Baxter Smith. chairman
of the Safety Committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
and Halbert Poole, a parking lot
operator.
Even before the subcommittee
decided to recommend that the
railroads provide a commuter serv-
ice, Chairman Schultz called on
Engineer Commissioner Kutz to
seek a conference with the officials
OF these carriers with a view to
working out plan whereby sub
urban commuters would be carried
to a terminal at Fourteenth and
Main Avenue S.W.
Gen. Kutz said the Commissioners
would be glad to arrange such a
conference and go into the plan
very fully"
A subway system also was dis
cussed during the last hearing. but
no intimation was given that the
subcommittee had a municipallv
owned and operated project in mind
Public Parking Lots Urged.
Mr. Merrill obviously was under
the impression Chairman Schultz
wanted to place the cars of his line
underground in the congested sec
ton and said the transit company
would be unable to finance a sub
way. Moreover, the transit company
head said he did not believe there
would be a sufficient volume of pas
sengers to support an expensive
Underground rail system.
Chairman Schultz expressed the
hope that if the Commissioners are