Evening star., 1942-10-27
Night Parking
Ban Debated
By Traffic Men
Trade Boord Unit
Hears Proposal
Called UntimeIy


gasoline ration cards to be the first
to surrender this privilege was Wig
orously opposed by Whitney Leary
at a luncheon meeting sponsored
yesterday by the Board Of Trades
Traffic Committee. Mr.. Leary is
District OPA director as we'll as
chairman of the Commissioners Ad-
visory Trafflc Council.
when A card holders are allowed
to use a car less than ever before,
1t would be a hardship for them to
pay more for less received" Mr..
Leary said. aside from the cost of
building garage, manpower and
materials are needed for the war
effort. Personally, I would favor
starting with a c card holder, whose
larger gas allotment gives greater
value received, if 1t becomes neces-
sary to clear our streets at night.
The subject is not new, but now is
not the time to put such a plan
into effect"
Sharing Mr.. Leary's view was
Police Inspector Arthur Miller, who
said there is not enough garage
space in some areas here, and that
heavily increased taxes prohibit
new garage construction for the
average car owner.
Some Restrictions Favored.
Favoring some restrictions were
William A. Van Duzer, District
director of trafic; Fire Chief Stephen
T. Porter; Leonard L. Tucker,
president Of the District Civilian
Defense Council; Capt. H. G. White
hurst, District Highway Depart
ment director, and F. w. Lovejoy,
executive secretary, D. c. Highway
Traffic Advisory Council.
P. Y. K. Howat, chairman of the
Board OF Trades Traffic Committee,
said recommendations would be
made by his committee later to the
Trade Boards governing body.
Mr.. Van Duzer touched off an
animated discussion by saying
Washington is the only large city
IN the country with no night park
ing limitations. A survey showed
that $1,000 of the Districts 123 900
passenger autos are to be found
parked In the streets between 2
am. and 6 am, he said. He esti-
mated that 90 per cent of the night
parking in residential zones could
be eliminated if owners would use
their own garages instead of the
public streets. Night parking, he
added, interferes with early morn
Ing street cleaning, impedes the
Fire Department in fighting fires
and could interfere with large-scale
troop movements. =
Downtown Ban Suggested.
Chief Porter said "the ideal is to
have our streets clear at night" but
he warned that flremen, policemen
and civilian defense workers find
their own automobiles the only
source of quick transportation when
responding to emergency calls. A
3-foot space between parked cars,
ne said, enables flremen to carry
hose through when fighting first
floor and basement fires, and ladder
equipment is able to bridge parked
cars in battling flames on upper
floors. The downtown business dis
tr1ct, he added, might be made a
prohibited parking zone.
Capt. Whitehurst emphasized that
arterial highways should be kept
clear at night in the interest of
safety and movement OF traffic. such
as troops, in an emergency. Night
parking in residential areas sur
rounding the business district, he
said, is the primary cause of day.
time traffic congestion. Night park
ing on both sides of narrow streets
ne added, is a genuine fire hazard.
Lay plans now for ultimate,
progressive elimination of night
parking, but the time for its applica-
ton is not now" Capt. Whitehurst
emphasized.
Mr.. Tucker said triple parking
during blackouts" constituted grave
risk to civilian defense workers
Citing the success Of the metal scrap
drive here, he thought an appeal tc
the owners of automobiles might
elicit similar favorable response
Saying he personally believed
Washington would be bombed and
that Hitler, with the kick of a
dying mule, hopes one of the bombs
would fall on the White House.
Mr.. Tucker asserted Washington
| streets should be reasonably free o1
congestion.
Restricted Areas Urged.
Night parking in target area.
"such as the Navy Yard and down.
town spots" should be restricted, II
was contended by Mr.. Lovejoy. H.
believed, too, there should be more
orderly parking to permit car re.
movals from parking lots in case O
emergency without having to yanl
out a whole line of machines.
Looking ahead to the wars end
John Nolen, planning director O
the National Capital Parks ant
Planning Commission, said the ad
vent of peace would witness ,
thinning out of present overcon
crested areas to outlying new de.
velopments, and that this "elemen
of competition will compel apart.
ment owners to provide parkint
space OF the streets for thei
tenants" He said the Washington
community has achieved progress
by Cd zoning amendments requirini
private parking facilities for nev
construction permits, and (2) estab
lishment Of the District Auto Park