Evening star., 1945-11-01
Cor1nlitteeGets
10 Ease
D. {. Parking
Garages Beneath
Public Parks Are
Among Proposals
BY DON s. WARREN.


Plans for expanded parking IA
cilities in Washington today were
outlined to House subcommittee
by Highway Director H. c. White
hurst.
The first of numerous witnesses
scheduled to testify before the Traf-
fic Subcommittee of the House Dis
trict Committee, headed by Repre-
sentative Hebert, Democrat, of
Louisiana, Capt. Whitehurst pre-
dicted the situation would be ma
terially improved" as plans are put
in force.
His recommendations included
wide use of parking meters to regu-
late curb parking. provision of funds
for the reactivated motor vehicle
parking agency to take the lead in
providing off-street parking lots and
garages and regulation of street
parking to assure a steady turnover
Cites Costs of Project.
Questioned by Mr.. Hebert, he
agreed that construction of garages
under public parks would be prac-
ticable from an engineering view
point and economically feasible for
the transient parker, who can af-
ford to pay a reasonable" fee. He
doubted If such garages, because of
their higher costs, would be feas-
ible for the largest class-the all-day
parker, who can afford to pay only
about Is cents a day.
Capt. Whitehurst warned, how
ever, a question of authority to
use the parks for this purpose was
involved. Mr.. Hebert asked why
underground garages could not be
built under Lafayette, Franklin and
Mcpherson squares. Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West explained
these areas were under the jurisdic-
ton Of the United States rather
than the municipality.
Mr.. West said he did not believe
the District owned any park areas
which could be used for under
ground garages.
Traffic Count Made.
Mr.. Hebert illustrated the size of
the parking problem by citing traffic
figures and the number of avail
able parking spaces. At his re-
quest Capt. Whitehurst reported
there are more than $4,000 cars
registered in the District and $4,000
more enter the District daily from
Maryland, $4,000 more from Virginia
and 5000 from other States. A
recent survey showed less than g.
600 parking spaces along the curbs
on parking lots and in garages in
the central area of the city.
"In other words" Mr.. Hebert
said, there are 100000 potential
parkers and only $4,000 of these
on off-street lots"
Capt. AWhitehtirst opened the
session with a review of several
comprehensive surveys of various
phases Of traffic and transporta-
ton problems which have been
made since 1885.
Irving C. Root, superintendent OF
National Capital Parks, told the
subcommittee the Interior Depart
ment would oppose use of parks for
underground garages If it meant
destruction of trees.
Capital Garage Sought.
Mr.. Hebert pressed again for re-
turning the Capital Garase 10 pri-
vate car use, and Ernes E. Hall
executive officer of the Federal
Works Agency, testified tile Gov
ernment was ready to get its cars
out of the building now if the pri-
vate owner will agree to cancella-
ton of the lease, which runs to
June 30, 1948, or six months after
the war emergency is proclaimed
ended.
Negotiations to cancel the lease
have been undertaken, he said.
Mr.. Hebert announced the hear
ings would be resumed at 10 am
tomorrow.
He also said the current "open
forum" on the problem would be
restricted to the parking phase OF
the general traffic and transporta-
ton problem, but his subcommittee
proposed later to go into other
matters. These, he said. would in
clude proposals for subways, over
passes, underpasses and other fac