Evening star., 1941-05-04

Capt. WhltehurSt recdlleQ JIlal
New York had met similar problems
by building freeways along the edge
of Manhattan Island, an easy solu-
ton in that city where the greatest
movement of traffic is north and
south. This method could not be
adopted here, he said, because large
numbers of automobiles move in all
directions at virtually the same
period as thousands of Government
employees commute back and forth
between downtown Washington and
nine distinct outlying residential
areas.
In a study of the problem here,
he reported, officials of the High
way Department considered such
methods of relief as elevated or
underground routes, but these were
dismissed quickly because of cost
and other factors which make them
unsuited to conditions.
"Er and Subway Costs High.
The Districts problem, it was de-
cided. did not warrant such a large
outlay as would be entailed in either
elevated or subway transportation,
either of which would cost many
times more than that of the system
finally selected. A four-lane ele-
waited, for instance. involved a cost
of from to s1,75O,OOO to 100000 a
mile, while a two-lane subway was
estimated at from 100000 to
SIS 900 900 mile, depending on util-
ity structures and other conditions
The department concluded that
highly expensive features should be
resorted to only if reasonable sue
cess could not be obtained by use
of surface and depressed highways,
with the aid of appropriate grade
separations, channelized intersec-
tions and light control.
To keep down cost, an effort was
made in drawing up the present
program to employ existing routes,
some of which have been wholly or
partially improved, as much as pos
sible. The planners were conscious
also, Capt. Whitehurst said, that the
existing traffic pattern in the city
must be followed in order to keep
the cost within reason.
In selecting the various trunk
routes, the problem was to choose
as near as possible the most direct
connection with the outlying resi-
Dental areas and to select streets
along which traffic could be made to
flow most freely. Many of the ex-
isting streets, it was found were
usable in part, while other sections
of them were not suited to convey
traffic quickly. This led, the direc-
tor said, to the selection of K street
instead of M street as the radial
line to the northwest section west
of Wisconsin avenue and Key Bridge
M Street Badly Congested.
M street already was highly con-
gested, it was not wide enough for
a depressed highway and it was
undesirable because of the business
interests involved. AS still another
bad feature, its roadway was heavily
loaded with underground construc-
ton and, to avoid a bottleneck in
Georgetown, a subway would be
necessary.
1t has been suggested that by
pass for through traffic be con-
structed north of M street. Capt.
WhitehurSt said this idea was dis
missed because it would require ex-
pensive property acquisition, be-
cause it would border residential
area ard because the eastern ter
minus would bring congestion back
into Pennsylvania avenue and M
street at Twenty-ninth street. More
over, there would be no connection
with Key Bridge.
Some of the routes were so OBJ
viously the proper streets for the
trunk lines that there was little diff
ficulty in selecting them, the direc-
tor reported. K street to the east
for instance, has a wide right-of-
way and involves virtually no prop
erty acquisition. 1t also taps and
connects with other main highways