Evening star., 1946-09-04
East Executive
Avenue 10 Be
.2-WayStreet
Porking to Be Bonned
When 1t Is Opened
To Traffic Mondoy

To Traffic Monday
Traffic will move in both direc-
tions when East Executive avenue is
reSpened to the public Monday, but
parking will be prohibited at all
times, Trafiice Director George E.
Keneipp announced today.
These and other rules were estab-
lished for the one-time busy street
skirting the White House in a morn
ing conference attended by Inspector
Arthur E, Miller. head of the police
trafi1c division: James j. Maloney,
acting chief of the Secret Service,
and Mr.. Keneipp.
Formal proclamation of the streets
reopening was expected in an execu-
tive order today. Late yesterday
White House Secretary Charles G,
Ross said do Not Enter" signs
would be removed Monday for the
first time since the war. The action
was recommended by Secretary of
the Treasury and approved by
President Truman, Mr.. Ross added
Madison Place One Way.
Madison place, the one block
street north of Pennsylvania avenue
and In line with East Executive ave-
nue., will continue as a two-way
street. The original plan to make
1t one way for southbound traffic
during the morning peak period and
for northbound traffic during the
late afternoon rush hour will not
be put into effect at this time. It
was found impractical because the
E-2 bus line which comes down
Vermont avenue has a terminal on
Madison place. Mr.. Keneipp ex-
planned that the bus line may be
rerouted later if traffic conditions
warrant.
Vehicle going north on East Exec
utive avenue will be allowed to make
a left turn west into Pennsylvania
avenue
Parking will be prohibited on
Doth sides of Madison place during
the rush hours. The present regu-
lation permits one-hour parking
throughout the day.
Traffic officials are considering
the possibility of making Treasury
place from Fifteenth street to East
Executive avenue a one-way drive.
Mr.. Keneipp said this requires fur
ther study but observation today
showed that most motorists appar-
emily consider it a one-way street
now.
To Be Ready About Noon.
The conference today decided
that East Executive avenue should
not be opened early Monday morn
ing, as had been planned. Some
work must be done to adjust traffic
lights, but the principal reason is
that traffic officials believe an OPEN
ing in the early rush period might
cause confusion.
Mr.. Keneipp said he was confident
the new traffic arrangement will be
in effect shortly after noon Monday.
There was no discussion of the
status of West Executive avenue be-
tween the White House and the
State Department Building, Mr..
Keneipp said following the confer
ence. He added that Jurisdiction Of
that street rests with the Office of
National Capital Parks and that so
far as he knows there is no plan
to open it to public traffic at this
time.
At the White House it was said
President Truman's executive order
directing the opening of East Execu-
tive avenue on Monday is being
prepared and will be issued late
this afternoon
Pedestrian Traffic Studied.
Meanwhile, engineers from Mr..
Keneipp's Office today were studying
pedestrian as well as vehicular traf-
fic at the intersection of Pennsyl-
vania avenue, East Executive ave-
nue. and Madison place. The pres
ent heavy left-turn movement of
automobiles from Madison place, he
said, probably will be eased by the
opening OF East Executive avenue.
Special attention may have to be
given to "the pedestrian situation"
Especially on the south side Of
Pennsylvania avenue, which, during
the war. was usually free of any
traffic movement in or out of the
restricted East Executive avenue, he
explained.
The street which connects Penn
sylvania avenue with the Mall on
the east side of the White House
was closed as wartime measure.
Prewar Traffic Heavy.
In prewar days, the street carried
heavy load of traffic. During the
war, it served as a parking place for
Treasury and White House officials.
Faced with increasing traffic con-
gestion-particularly at the inter-
section of Fifteenth street and New
York avenue N.W.-the District
Commissioners recently approved a
recommendation of Mr.. Keneipp to
request the immediate re-opening
of the street.
The Star, in its editorial columns
of August "a, urged the immediate
re-opening of the street to divert
some of the traffic from the con-
gested Fifteenth street intersection.
Before President Truman decided
yesterday to reopen the street i'm
mediately, Mr.. Maloney had told
The Star the Avenue would be re-
opened as soon as a high fence
could be built to keep out stray
visitors and make the east wing only
business entrance to the White
House. He explained he had no au-
thority to open the street before
the construction work was COM
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