Evening star., 1945-06-06
WASHINGTON NEWS
WEDNESDAY,, JUNE 6, 1915.
New Subway
Study Urged
by Gen. Grant
Present Program
COMPOUNDS Error,
He Tells Heurino

Compounds Error,
He Tells Hearing
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, III, chair.
man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, today
charged that the subway routes
proposed last year by consulting en-
gineers would make permanent the
mistakes Of the past"
Gen. Grant made his statement
as the Commissioners opened their
public hearing on the transporta-
ton survey made by consulting en-.
gineers who recommended a $56,.
100000 subway system as a major
part of broad postwar plan to
speed the movement of trafic in
the central area of the District.
Gen. Grant urged the Commis-
sloners to name committee to
make new study Of the transpor-
tation problems before embarking
on any expensive permanent plan.
Gain Limited.
Gen. Grant said it would be q
mistake to crystalline congestion in
the area around Fifteenth street
and New York avenue NV. in the
manner proposed in the report. He
suggested that the problem be stud
led by representatives Of his COM
mission, the District, the Capital
Parks Office, the Capital Transit
Co. and the consulting engineers
who drafted the report.
Gen. Grant said that placing
streetcars underground would ease
up surface traffic for a short time,
but he said there would be q sur
prisingly small addition of lanes
gained for free-wheel traffic.
Gen. Grant said that the addi-
tional lanes Of traffic provided by
underground streetcars would soon
fill up. He said that transportation
should be made more elastic instead
of less elastic. Commissioner John
Russell Young, who presided, prom
ised that his suggestions for COM
mittee to restudy the report would
be given serious consideration.
Would Speed Lights.
E. D. Merrill, president of the Cap
ital Transit Co., conceded that sub
ways would materially reduce time
for patrons making long trips but
said the savings would not be as
much for passengers going for a
short distance. He pointed out that
in subway system the stops would
be farther apart than at present
and require more walking.
Mr.. Merrill insisted that careful
study should be given to timing of
street signals to speed the mass
transportation system. Earlier in
the hearing, however, Director Of
Traffic William A. Van Duzer had
stressed the benefits of subways in
the central area and denied the
possibility of improving congestion
through changes in timing of traffic
lights.
Mr.. Merrill said that some atten-
tion should be given to diversifying
traffic rather than fixing it In a
permanent. pattern with subways
and underground terminals. He
pointed out that one example OF
diversiflcation was their services to
the Potomac Park area, where IS 900
persons are brought each morning
by streetcars and buses.
Transit Cost . Million.
Mr.. Merrill estimated that add.
tional personnel required for sub
ways, combined with maintenance
costs, would increase operating costs
OF the transit firm by $1,000 900 a
year. He pointed out, for instance,
that automatic turnstiles would not
be feasible because Of the use of
weekly passes. This would mean, he
added, that the turnstiles would
have to be manned.
IT subways are built, he said, they
should be considered as sort of an
expansion of the street area and
their cost should not be placed on
the riding public. He pointed out
that in other cities subways had
been built by the municipalities and
that it would have to be done here
by public authority.
In his testimony, Mr.. Van Duzer
said that subways would save lives.
speed traffic and reduce accidents.
He estimated that if there had been
subways from 1941 through 1S43,
there would have been q less traffic
deaths in the District.
Mr.. Van Duzer also urged consid.
GRAFTON Of subway on Seventh
street-not proposed in the survey
last year-in order ito redeem and
restore one of Washington's oldest
shopping streets"
At Cross Roads,
Mr.. Van Duzer protested against
any segregation of streetcsrs and
vehicles by streets, pointing out that
such segregation would injure prop
erty owners by making the streets
private. He said that studies by his
office indicated that if traffic lights
were timed to speed automobiles.
streetcars would be slowed down and
vice versa.
The hearing, which opened before
a packed boardroom at the District
Building, was started by Commits
sioner Young, who introduced Capt.
H. c. Whitehurst, director of high
ways. Capt. Whitehurst outlined the
history of the various traffic surveys
made in the District and said that
the city had reached the cross
roads Of decision" He said the Dis
trict could continue with the present
unsatisfactory conditions, it could
doctor them with aspirin" or it
could cooperate ito improve con-
ditions by a proper and adequate
method that will insure a reasonably
satisfactory solution"
Cooper, 1900 First street NV,
May Is.
I'd 1t. Verdi Venting, Elder A. w.
peterson Ceyepfh.dor Advopt;ef