Evening star., 1942-11-06
Highway Plans
Frozen by Drop
In Gas Revenue
Collections Decrease
"a Pet, Whitehurst
Tells Senate Group

~ TSt.s VHItSUuTSt
Tells Senate Group
A marked decrease in gasoline tax
revenue has forced the District High
way Department to freeze its con-
emplated program of improvements.
Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, director of
highways. today told special Sem
ate Committee studying Washing
tons transportation situation
On the basis of declining revenue,
Capt. Whitehurst said the Highway
Department would have faced a
deficit of $2.65000O at the close of
the current fiscal year if it had car
ried out the various projects that
had been planned, but as a result
of the freezing order the department
will end the year "out of the red"
He further explained no major
highway construction projects are
contemplated for the next fiscal
year. and that the department will
devote its activities chiefly to the
maintenance of the existing system.
Normally the District collects
tax on approximately 100000
gallons of gasoline year, Capt.
Whitehurst said. but his most OPP
timistic estimate bases the collec-
ton of 100,000,00O gallons in the
coming fiscal year.
September Shows 24%s Drop.
The drop in the collection of gas
tax revenue, he pointed out, started
with gasoline rationing. In June
the collections were q per cent be-
low those of the same month in
194l. Progressively the collections
continued to dwindle, he declared,
and his last calculations in Septem-
Der showed "a per cent drop as
compared with September last year.
Capt. Whitehurst also disclosed
that the flow of traffic in Washing
ton had declined nearly proportion
ately with the reduction in gasoline
consumption. There was IS per
cent less traffic on the streets last
month, he said, than in october,
l941.
Capt. Whitehurst detailed to the
committee. of which Senator Bur-
ton, Republican, of Ohio, is chair
man, the progress that has been
made on the primary projects in his
carefully planned program of year
ago for removing so-called traffic
"bottlenecks.
IrNn of
Fourteenth street and Maine avenue
S.W.. the widening and extension
Of independence avenue, the widen
ing of Twenty-third street NV,
from Constitution to Pennsylvania
avenues and new roadways in Ana
costa leading to the District Line
and to Boiling Field.
Other Delays Foreseen.
Two other principal projects in
the program-construct of an ell
evated highway along K street NV.
from Rock Creek to Key Bridge and
erection Of bridge across the Ana
costa River In the line of South
Capitol street-probably will not be
carried out until after the war,
Capt. Whitehurst indicated, al
though plans for these and other
necessary Improvements in the high
way system will be ready when the
critical manpower and material
situation eases of.
Capt. Whitehurst reported that
plans for the South Capitol street
bridge ARE well along" and that
working drawings for the proposed
underpass at Dupont Circle are
progressing" and likely would be
completed by next spring
Capt. Whitehurst described these
projects as the happy side of the
picture" But the other side" he
added, lis not such happy one
1t was at this point he called at
tention to the decline in gasoline
tax revenue and the subsequent
freezing" of highway construction
Non-Fatal Mishaps Fewer.
Although there were more traffic
fatalities in the District in the first
10 months of this year than in the
same period of 1941, traffic accidents
have dropped q per cent Traffic
Director William A. Van Duzer told
the committee.
Traffic-all types of motor vehicles
and streetcars-has taken a toll of
80 lives so far this year, Mr.. Van
Duzer said. In the first 10 months
of 1941, he said, there were 70 traffic
deaths.
Chairman Burton inquired par
ticularly about the part streetcars
and buses had played in the mount
ing traflic fatality record. Mr.. Van
Duzer replied that so far this year
streetcars had killed 18 persons and
buses 8. The comparable record for
the first 10 months of last year was
streetcars s, buses l.
OF the 80 killed in traffic so far
this year, Mr.. Van Duzer empha-
sized, 81 were pedestrians. 27 of
whom failed to cross the street at
crosswalks. Last year SO pedes-
trians lost their lives from January
l to October 81.
| Would Tighten Regulation.
The trafhc director commented
that pedestrian travel had mounted
as a result of the increase in popu-
lation and the reduction in the use
of private automobiles and urged
that the pedestrian control regula-
ton be frightened to prevent walkers
from crossing in the middle OF the
block.
1T would take a million cops to
enforce such regulation" inter-
rupted Maj. Edward J. Kelly, super
intendent Of police.
Maj. Kelly was questioned at
length by Senator Burton about his
dificulties in keeping the police force
up to its authorized strength. He re-
vealed that there are SO existing
vacancies. but he hoped to fill at
least 40 of them next week, he said
He said, however, he planned to hold