Evening star., 1944-10-24
MostersTr Plan

The consulting engineers retained
H. the Commissioners to present q
master plan for the correction and
futurs development of transporta-
taon facilities" In the central area of
Washington approached their task
with certain basic considera tions in
mind.
One Is that unless radical changes
are made to facilitate the flow Of
traf1ic, property values in the central
area-which represent IS per cent of
Washington's total assessed valua-
tion and produce % per cent of the
city's real estate revenues-will suf-
fer an inevitable and serious decline.
Another is that traff1c congestion in
this area has become progressively
vorse-wartime gasoline and auto
mobile shortages bringing only tenn
porary relief-and will continue to
grow worse after the war, unless the
trend Is reversed by proper meas
ures. The question Is whether to
adopt those measures or to let ma
ture take its course.
The immediate cause of downtown
congestion now, the engineers re-
port, is interference between street.
car and automobile traffic. The
proposed remedy is to put the street.
cars underground, thus giving con-
crete form to the long discussed idea
OF subways. Two results, 1t is argued,
would follow. There would be more
room for the increased automobile
traffic, which would move with
greater freedom. At the same time,
provision Of adequate mass trans
portation facilities, also moving with
greater speed, would lessen depend
ence on automobiles to reach the
central area for shopping and other
business.
The engineers, 1t is to be remem-
bered, are looking to 1880, when
population Of the Metropolitan Area
will have increased an estimated 10
per cent. They also have in mind
the great highway plans designed to
speed more traffic into Washington
from the outlying sections. Some
thing must be done to accommodate
this traff1c once it gets here. Hence
the designs for putting streetcars
below the surface; street changes
and traffic signal modernization
to remove impediments to surface
traff1c. The estimated cost of the
modified system of subways, about
$50 6,000, 900, does not seem high in
relation to such completed under
takings as, say, the Pentagon Build
ing. Subsurface construction is said
to be feasible from the engineering
standpoint. The nature OF antici-
pated benefits, in the opinion of the
engineers, warrants public invest
ment.
The engineers are less specific as
regards solution OF the parking
problem. But they seem to proceed
on the theory that If there is realiza-
ton Of the advantages in clearing
the streets for traffic, private enter
prise will find profitable investment
in garages for those willing to pay
the storage costs. For others, eco
nomical and convenient public trans
portation, once it is available, would
be more attractive than use OF pri-
vate automobiles. The report con-
tains an interesting discussion of
these matters. along with detailed
plans for treatment of such special
traffic problems as Union Station
Plaza.
This report is by way of amplify-
ing the highway planning survey of
l941, with particular reference to
treatment of the downtown area.
The Commissioners have thrown it
open for public study and discussion,
which is the logical place to begin
what ultimately must be done to
accommodate the Washington street
trafiic OF few years hence.