Evening star., 1941-04-25

Co-ordlnated study ever made OF
traffic conditions in the District.
The survey, authorized by Con-
greSS, was compiled by the District
Highway Department in Collabora-
tion with the Department of We
hicleS and Traffic and Public Roads
Administration. Copies of the re-
port prepared from it already have
been delivered to the House and
Senate District Committees and the
Commissioners have been urged to
have Corporation Counsel Richmond
B. KeeCh draft Immediately an en-
ablng act to clear the way for con-
sideration of the program on Capitol
Hill
McCOaCh Agrees on Hearings.
Highway Commissioner David Nc
Coach, jr., the only member of the
Board of Commissioners who was in
the city today, said he agreed with
a suggestion made by Capt. White
hurst that the city heads should
hold public hearings before the re-
port is placed before Congress.
Financing the proposed program
he recognized as a major question.
He said he was withholding judg-
ment for the present on the Sug-
geSted 2-Cent increase IN the gas
tax.
Col. McCoach said: The survey
report is thorough and proposes
projects which are we'll conceived.
There is no doubt but that adoption
of the program would very greatly
improve traffic conditions.
"The big question is whether it is
more desirable to proceed piecemeal
with necessary improvements to our.
highway system, as has been the
case in past years, or whether. by an
increase in the gas tax, the District
should tackle the problem with
much greater force so that the pro-
gram might be accomplished within
a reasonable time.
The program calls first of all for
a series of radial trunk highways,
to be constructed at cost OF SlO.-
IT'S. COO. These are designed as travel
arteries along which the thousands
of Federal and District government
employees who go back and forth
daily from home to Office could COM
mute between the central business
district and residential areas or out
lying sections with no congestion.
To connect the trunk highways,
there would be main thoroughfare
improvements, estimated to cost
S3,550,0O0 Most of these. routes al
ready are in existence. although a
few links must be built.
Elevated Highway Project.
Other improvements involved in
the overall expenditure follow:
!. Road widening program, So
$4,000.
2. Grade separation program, So
55O.000.
3. Bridge building program, with
an immediate cost of S14.875 900 and
a future cost of S5,050,000.
4. Rock Creek Park Park and Zoo
roadway improvements, S3.750,000.
5 Other park area developments,
s2OOO,OOO.
One of the biggest projects would
be an elevated highway along the
line of K street from Rock Creek
to Key Bridge, an Improvement
given serious consideration in recent
years. Another would be a grade
separation structure at Fourteenth
street and Maine avenue, including
Fourteenth street and East Potomac
Park, a S1,5O00O0 change already
scheduled and included in the ap-
preparation bill of this year.
Other major improvements which
make up the program include pro-
posed $9,5000O0 tunnel under the
Potomac River in the vicinity of
Alexandria and $4,5000O0 span to
connect South Capitol street with
the area on the other side of the
Anacostia River.
Parking Meters Favored.
Capt. Whitehurst divided his 63-
page report into two sectionS-one
on street improvements and the
other on terminal facilities. In his
treatment of the latter, he explained
that there are two types of parkers
In the central business area--the
short time and the long time parker
He said his program was designed
TO give priority TO the short-time or
transient parkers, who are made up
of the shoppers, theater-goers and
others who stimulate the business
area and who now have access to
only 10000 of the approximately &c.
900 parking spaces available. His
major proposal in their behalf is
the establishment of parking meters
at all appropriate locations.
To help the longtime parker, he
suggested that fringe parking lots
or garages be established contiguous
to the central area to supplement
the facilities already available for
all-day parking, that they be oper-
ated on sound and economic grounds
and that loW-price, short-line bus
system be operated in connection
with them to convey the parkerS to
their place of employment.
The first of these fringe parking
facilities, in the directors opinion,
should be established by the Dis
trict government, with the co-opera-
ton of other public agencies, and
later should be leased on suitable
basis. They could be financed, he
pointed out, from parking meter
funds and receipts from customers
once they are in operation.
Initial establishment of such
areas in two or three sections, he
said, could be made proper charge
against the highway fund. Their
direction could be in the hands of
a motor vehicle parking agency: he
added which could function as a
separate activity of the District or
as part of an established depart
ment.
The director termed economically
unsound" repeated proposals to pro-
vide underground parking facilities
in the downtown area. He also re-
ported the survey had indicated it
would be undesirable to prohibit
parking in the central area during
non-rush hours, another step that
has been advocated in recent years.
Explaining that under the present