Evening star., 1945-03-23
SubwayProposa|
Delays Dupont
CircIePIans
PIonners' Previous
Action Held Up Due
To New Study

ing ahead with the proposed Du.
port Circle underpass is in a STATE
of uncertainty because of Wash.
ington's subway study.
This was based on action by thu
commission in recording complete
agreement with a recent order of tn,
Public Utilities Commission to in.
itiate an extensive origin and des.
tination" study of present and pos.
sible future traffic volume which
may have bearing on the under.
pass for Dupont Circle.
The whole thing is tied up nov
with the transportation and sub.
way report" said Max Wehrly, city
planner of the Federal commission
Comes as Surprise.
This new development came as &
surprise in view of earlier indica.
tions that the planning commission
was in full accord with the idea pro-
posed of the handling of traffic con-
gestion at Dupont Circle. In recent
months the commission has made 6
thorough study of the number o1
passengers transferred at Dupont
Circle and had approved the project
for development as soon as postwar
materials could be released.
Mr.. Wehrly said today the COM
missions traffic study is not up tC
date and that the whole determine
tion of the origin and destination
of future traffic will have an i'm.
portant bearing on any decision af-
fectins the Dupont Circle underpass
One of the proposed routes of the
Washington subway system WOULD
start Just above the circle at
street, and extend down Connecticut
avenue through the business dis
trict. Should this plan be carried
out it would naturally eliminate any
need for the underpass at Dupont
Circle.
While the Planning Commission
took no action today on anything
pertaining to the subway study, its
recent opposition to an extensive
subway for Washington is weaken
ing. Officials indicate now that any
traffic study in congested areas
such as Dupont Circle and in the
Northwest governmental triangle
bear relationship to subway studies
Settle at Boundary Hearing.
Secretary Thomas S. Settle was
attending hearings at the Capitol
today on the D. C.-Virginia boun-
Diary line bill, the principle of which
has been approved by the commits
sion, It was said the commissions
only concern is with the establish
ment of the high-water mark on the
Virginia shore as the permanent
boundary line and was not particu-
larly interested in matters involving
jurisdiction.
In report on the status of legis-
lation subHitted so1 behalf of Mr.
Settle the latter said there were
some Objectionable features" to the
McCarran bill introduced as SUBJ
stitute of the Capper urban re-
development bill. He did not &c
into details, but it was known the
commission is not satisfied with the
features of the bill dealing with the
proposed new setup for a housing
and redevelopment commission.
The former Jamaica Playground
site now being acquired on Church
street between Sixteenth and Seven
teenth streets NV. is scheduled a.
a play area for white residents anc
not for colored. Federal planning
officials said today At yesterday.
meeting of the Planning Commits.
sion the name was changed to thu
Stead Playground in memory o.
Mary Force Stead of Washington
and The Star referred to the play.
ground enormously as intended fol
colored.
Plans for Hospital Site.
The planners indicated earlier
they may revive plans for utilizing
the grounds of the old Tubersulosi'
Hospital at Thirteenth and Upshul
streets NV. as a recreation center
for that thickly settled community
The site was inspected yesterday
along with a number of other pro
posed projects, including severa
alternative sites north of Fort Du'
pont Park in East Washington for {
projected Junior high school. The.
also visited an area in the vicinit,
of Benning road and East Capito
street proposed for the erection O.
a new. colored elementary school.
The National Capital Park anc
Planning Commission was impressed
with the possibilities involved in the
tuberculosis Hospital grounds. Will.
the commission did not commit it.
self to any definite plan at thi
time, it may re-eXamine plans drawn
up some years ago for recreation
center on the hospital grounds
There is sufficient acreage adjoin.
ing the hospital for development
regardless of whether it is intended
to tear down the old condemned
hospital plant.
Money for the two schools to b,
erected at some future time in Eas
Washington is not yet available
No decision has been reached on tn,
tentative sites. Fort Dupont Parl
contains 400 wooded acres. Lane
for the school site is to be pur
chased in some area adjacent tt
the park, but for the recreationa
needs of the school it is planned
to use a portion of the Fort Dupon
grounds.
Roosevelt Island, named afte
Theodore Roosevelt, and the site O
the new Georgetown University Hos
pital, now under construction, ais
were visited. At the former, tn
planning officials were most in
terested in the possible construction
of a causeway connecting the islam,
with the lower level of the Rosslyl
(Va.) plaza at the end of Key Bridge
Cob Driver Is Beaten