Evening star., 1941-05-07


hour load in some cases runs to
5000. ,.-
I'm the interest of safety, where
two heavy streams of traffic are al
ways present and roadway capacity
Is insufficient to permit effective
light installation, there remains only
one solution to the problem-separa-
ton of grades" Capt. Whitehurst
said. I'm some instances, streets
can be widened to obtain more
reservoir, but not in all
Avenues Complicate Situation.
Another thing that makes the 10
cal situation more complicated, he
said, is the irregular intersection
layout caused by superimposing ave-
nues running in all directions on
top of rectangular street system.
Before any intersection redesign is
settled on, whether in the form of a
grade separation or channelization,
a traffic pattern map of the juno
ture is made. This makes it easy
to decide which of the streets in
volved is the most important and
should be given the right of way, the
highway director explained.
Possibly the city's worst conges-
ton point, according to recent sur
vey, is at Fourteenth street and
Maine avenue. This intersection
averages 81 900 vehicles daily, heav-
lily augmented on special occasions
such as the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Cars sometimes are held up there
as long as 80 minutes.
To correct this situation, it is pro-
posed that Fourteenth street be
raised above Maine avenue and East
Potomac Park at that point. A low
level bridge will be constructed
across Tidal Basin to handle park
traffic, thus making it possible to
segregate entirely what may be
called through or commercial traf-
fic and park traffic. There also
will be interchange roads between
Maine avenue and Fourteenth street
providing access in all directions
Fifteenth and H.
Still another intersection classed
as one of the worst in the city is
at the six-street juncture of Florida
and Maryland avenues, Fifteenth
and H streets and' Benning anc
Bladensburg roads. This point is
considered hazardous both to motor
ist and pedestrian. Its approximate
width of 125 feet from curb to curb
is so great that a walker cannot
traverse the distance before q
change of traffic lights.
Capt. Whitehurst admitted that
the situation there is so extreme
that no specific plan has been agreed
upon. Maryland avenue and Blad-
ensburg road constitute the line of
heaviest travel, and it is evident
that grade separation of some
nature, possibly an underground
tunnel for these two streets, will
be necessary. Whatever is done
the surface walkway will be planned
to provide greater safety for pedes-
trians. Q
A complicated problem also is met
at Mount Vernon Square, and there
again the director revealed that
plans were incomplete. Due to the
presence of street car tracks on two
of the streets converging there and
also because of the heavy volume
of traffic on the main highways
concentrating at that point, there
seems no practical solution to the
situation, he said, except to rede-
sign the street system and separate
the grades. When this is done, al
least one bad center of congestion
at Massachusetts, and New York
avenues-will be eliminated.
Capt. Whitehurst said it is be-
lieved that if the streetcar track!
can be rearranged it may be posi-
BILE to handle automobile trafiic OF
the surface. Whatever ID done, HI
said, the main library building vii