Evening star., 1946-09-13
keneipp Seeks
1880 More
Parking Spaces
Asks Aid of Business
In Solving Downtown
Traffic Problems

Downtown Washington needs q
minimum of 12,500 additional Off
the-street parking spaces to solve
its very, very serious" parking
problem-which may eventually end
only through joint undertaking
by local businessmen, the District
and Federal Governments"
That was the report of George
E. Keneipp, director of Vehicles and
Traffic, in talk yesterday before
the Kiwanis Club in the Mayflower
Hotel.
Mr.. Keneipp said it was ''in the
interests Of the downtown bust
nessman to help bring about a solu-
ton to the city's parking ills by
providing the needed ff-the- street
parking space.
Cites Recent Survey.
Citing a recent highway planning
survey, the traffic director said more
than $1,000 vehicles and $4,000
people enter the downtown area
daily. In the so-called retail store
district, roughly bounded by Seventh
and Fifteenth streets and New York
and Pennsylvania avenues NV.
only 1900 off-the-street spaces are
available, Mr.. Keneipp said.
And 1900 of those are occupied
for the day by 9:15 am" he added
pointing out that less than half the
total spaces are available fol-
shoppers and other late-comers
About 300 curbside parking spaces
in this area are available after 9:l5
am, he said.
In the so-called Office building
area - boarded by Twentieth and
Twelfth streets and Massachusetts
avenue - there are $500 of street
parking spaces of which $3.50 are
occupied for the day by the end OF
the morning rush hour.
5000 Added Spaces Needed.
An additional 5000 off-street
spaces were declared needed in the
retail" area, and $500 in the office
building" section.
These off-the-street spaces are
the problem, since nothing more
carl be done about curbside parking
room" Mr.. Keneipp declared.
The traffic director declared that
although no overall parking plan
exists in the District, the problem
has been systematically attacked
since 1912.
After pointing out that other large
cities IN the country have success
fully tried fringe" and underground
facilities in coping with parking
problems, Mr.. Keneipp was asked
whether Washington was tagging In
such experiments.
IF that's the impression YOU get
It's all right with me-" he replied.
Tells Of Difficulties.
He added that the District is
meeting with difficulty in attempts
to acquire property for three park
ing lot projects.
In some instances" he said, 1--WE
may obtain all but one small parcel
OF land in a group but that one is
held up by a property owner who
insists on an exorbitant price"
Mr.. Keneipp also raised the ques-
ton Of the Districts failure to make
use Of the large lot adjoining John
Marshall place and the Municipal
Building as parking lot. Fringe
parking facilities, such as those of
the Pentagon Building area, are,
however, being studied, he revealed.
Among the points he cited in a
program to increase Washington
parking space, Mr.. Keneipp said the
structure should favor short-thne
parkers, while all-day patrons should
have facilities in the downtown
fringe" areas, with special shuttle
bus to operate between the lot and
the central district.
Continuation with renewed vipor"
OF the Motor Vehicle Parking
Agency, which has been studying the
problem here, also was urged by the
traf1ic director. Mr.. Keneipp's re-
marks were broadcast over Station
WRC.