Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-05-14
Tour 10 Study
Traffic Slated
By Planners
Commission Seeks
To Solve Problems in
New Housing Areas

Prior to making an inspection
trip to see how numerous housing
and building projects will affect the
city's already overburdened trans
portation facilities, the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission devoted its opening May
session today to seeking solution
of several traffic problems.
Widening of Canal road west of
Thirty street is possibility
the District government soon must
face, the commission was told today,
because of the increased traffic
flowing into that already congested
thoroughfare as a result of the K
street overpass.
Norman C. Brown, the commits
sior's appraiser and associate land
purchasing officer, also reported ap-
proval of condemnation award
completing the acquisition of part
of the Potomac Palisades Park prof.
ect. This new area will extend
from Canal road to Prospect street,
west of Thirty seventh street.
Columbia Road Park Acquired.
That acquisition. he said. also will
assist the District in widening Canal
road at some future time. Thirty
seventh street at Canal road is rap
idly becoming troublesome traffic
bottleneck the commission was told.
The Palisades Park eventually is
to be extended to the Maryland line
to connect with the George Wash
ington Memorial Parkway. The
acquisition of the new strip of park
area will greatly facilitate the pro-
posed development and ends nego-
tiations that have presented rather
serious problems in the past.
1t also was reported today the
United States has obtained title to
the two-acre neighborhood park at
Nineteenth street and Columbia
road NV. Work already has started
on this development with a view to
making it available to public use
this summer. The two acres COM
prise beautifully wooded area in
congested part of the city.
Land Matters Studied.
The commission became involved
In routine land matters at the
morning session and put off until
later consideration of other matters
scheduled before it made an inspec-
ton tour OF various Government
buildings and housing projects.
tomorrow morning, a report will
be made on pending legislation af-
fecting various civic improvements.
A considerable part of the session
will be devoted to the war housing
program and new public buildings
IN their relation to community ia
cilities. Architects also will submit
their preliminary plans for the dor
mitories in West Potomac Park, as
we'll as for those to be erected in
Arlington. These plans will be
closely scrutinized to prevent hap
hazard building in the park, close
to the Lincoln Memorial
At the afternoon session, a report
on revision of plans for the pro-
posed Fort Reno reservoir will be
submitted. The reservoir site will
take in considerable portion of
the historic Civil War fort but the
city's tremendous growth in popu-
lation makes it imperative that the
water system be enlarged without
delay. This is No. item on the
improvement program
The relocation of the National
Capital Park shops, made necessary
by the extension and widening of
Independence avenue, is another
problem coming up in the afternoon.
Plans also will be considered for
enlargement of the boundary chan
mel.