Evening star., 1944-11-11
Letters to The Star
Wants Private Cars Banned
From Contested Areas

To the Editor Of The Star:
The new scheme for both aiding in
the control of traffic congestion in the
downtown area of Washington and In
haltipg trend to decentralization pro-
poses to use streetcar subways to bring
a greater number of persons more
quickly than now is possible into the
downtown area while at the same time
providing for an increased number of
surface vehicles (mostly private cars).
Additional parking space Is TO be pro-
vided in multistory buildings. The use
of the subways is an attempt to free
the streetcar from interference from
other traf1c (again, chiefly private
cars) so that increased speeds can be
made.
But it does not seem very logical to
spend millions of dollars in order to
hasten the passage OF an increased
number Of persons into an already con-
gested area and, at the same time, to
clear and even rearrange some streets
so as to encourage even more surface
vehicles to attempt to enter the area
and add to the congestion.
Private Cars q Luxury"
1t would seem simpler to leave the
existing street layout as it is. to pro-
hibit private passenger cars from areas
that really are congested, and to pro-
vide for those areas the more ample
public transportation services (street-
cars, buses, taxis) that would then be
possible. Such services could move on
the cleared streets with rapidity not
possible under existing conditions, and
there would be no parking problem re-
quiring special buildings.
The private car is luxury in con-
gested areas. in that it occupies too
much public space for the few private
persons 1t carries. There is no sound
reason why the use Of public space by
a comparatively few persons should be
allowed to continue when that use
seriously hinders public transportation
and, as a result, affects indirectly the
economic life of the area However,
curb parking will continue to be used
to the limit as long as it is permitted,
since some persons always will drive
downtown in the hope of finding free
parking space. II they know there is
TO be no parking of any sort, they will
be reconciled to abandoning their cars
for such journeys and will use public
transportation. 1t is recognized, of
course, that physicians cars should not
be considered private" and that in
Washington diplomatic and genuinely
offlcial cars could not be excluded.
The principal reason for the subways
Is to save time, but this seems to be
somewhat offset by the fact that many
passengers who do not now transfer will
have to do so. Street car breakdowns
do happen. and the lot of the passen-
gers is not one to be envied when such
an event takes place in a tunnel on a
hot and humid day. Such breakdowns
tie up the whole line in one direction
and this cannot be thought a flexible
or satisfactory arrangement, and raises
the question as to why subways should
be provided for a track-tied system
which Is noted for its inflexibility, a
system already challenged by the more
adaptable bus.
Skeptical Of Subways.
One is tempted to think that the very
need for restudy of the drainage sys-
tenn would be an indication that the
subway is not the right answer to the
problem in low-lying and easily flooded
areas. In any event. it comes as shock
that in place as beautiful as Wash
ington 1t should be proposed to require
citizens to ride in hot, noisy dirty tun-
nels.
AS to the Office parking buildings one
wonders what the rents of the stores
and Offices are to be, since costs borne
to be high and yet if the parking
charges are too great the garages will
not be sufficiently used to pay their way
and the buildings will be in financial
trouble. Also, If the building one is 60
ing to has no parking space available,
it will be necessary to waste time in
driving around until a parking stall is
found elsewhere, leading to the old nuis-
ance of the cruising car interfering with
other traffic and to the necessity for
the driver and his passengers df any)
walking back to the building of their
original destination; which is just ex-
actly the unsatisfactory situation now
existing.
To conclude, do not think that the
bringing by street car of more persons
more rapidly into the center of the
town Is a solution to the Washington
problem, If more private passenger cars
than ever before are also to be admitted
to the area; do not see how this will
reduce existing congestion or how it
will discourage the existing tendencies
towards decentralization. AS I see it.,
the purpose of any traffic revision plan
for a congested downtown area should
be to bring In an out of that area the
maximum number of persons, not We
hicles. believe the only final solution
lies in the exclusion of the private pas
senger car from congested areas.
HARRY BARRETT.
Praises Korean Editorial
To the lditor Of The Star: