Evening star., 1947-10-22
Capital Transit
Urges Rerouting
AtSousa Bridge
| Asks Traffic Diversion
| In Place Of 5000, 900
PIon to Cut Congestion

The Capital Transit Co. today
presented to the Commissioners and
the Public Utilities Commission
plan designed to provide immediate,
costless relief of traffic congestion
at the Barney Circle end of the
Sousa Bridge.
Company officials said rerouting
traffic entering the circle would
produce a better flow over the Sousa
Bridge than could be secured under
the Highway Departments 100000
proposal for an underground street.
car terminal at the circle.
Sitting as the "joint board" the
Commissioners and PUG officials
heard Maj. Gordon Gravelle, the
transit company's traffic engineer,
predict that by shunting onto Penn
sylvania avenue traffic approaching
the circle along Seventeenth street
and Kentucky avenue, the bottle
neck at the bridge might be broken
permanently.
If trial period proved this hope
was too optimistic, he said, an
overpass or underpass for through
traffic between the bridge and
Pennsylvania avenue would provide
a better solution than that of the
Highway Department.
Grant Supports View.
This view was supported by Mai.
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, III, chair
man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, who
followed Maj. Gravelle on the Dis
trict Building witness stand"
Gen. Grant denounced the proposal
for a street car subway.
The Highway Department had
proposed to run PENNSYLVANIA ave-
nue. traffic directly through the
circle, over the streetcar terminal,
and to provide loading areas for
buses on the side.
The transit company charged that
this proposal provided no solution
to the principal traffic problem at
Barney circle, which is the stop
page of through traffic by traffic
crossing into the circle from Seven
teenth street and Kentucky avenue.
1t is this stoppage. Maj. Gravelle
said, which causes backing up" of
traffic on the bridge during the
afternoon rush hours.
Specifically, the transit company
proposed that Seventeenth street
Sc. should be made a one-way
street, northbound, and that Ken
lucky avenue Sc, while remaining
two-way, should be blocked off at
Potomac avenue.
Traffic Would Detour.
All traffic on these streets, under
the plan, would approach the bridge
by detouring through Potomac ave-
nue. and Fifteenth street to Pennsyl-
vania avenue, thus entering the
circle in one direct stream.
If this were done, Maj. Gravelle
said, traffic moving into town could
be uninterrupted. whereas it is now
halted 80 per cent of the time to
allow traffic from Kentucky avenue
and Seventeenth street to cross into
the circle. It still would be halted
in this way If the Highway Depart
ment's scheme were put into effect,
he added.
The transit company denied that
buses were responsible for conges-
ton at the circle, as has been
charged. Streetcars do not interfere
with traffic flow in the area, Maj.
Gravelle said, and if buses were
eliminated entirely the increased Cd
pacity of the circle would be only
about 3 per cent.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon r.
Young questioned the compary's
witness closely as to the effect Of
his proposal on the intersection at
Fifteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue Sc, which would bear the
brunt of the proposed rerouting Of
traffic.
Might Move Bottleneck.
"It seems to me there Is danger
Of moving the bottleneck a few
blocks west" Gen. Young said.
Maj. Gravelle admitted the COM
pany's proposal would increase traf-
fic congestion at Fifteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue, adding
that experience would quickly show
whether this increase could be han
died or not.
If the rerouting proposal proves
inadequate, the transit company
said, the proper long-range solution
is vehicular overpass or UNDER
pass from Sousa Bridge to Penn
sylvania avenue, with service ramps
providing access to the circle for
traffic proceedings north on Seven
teenth street and Kentucky avenue.
-. %1 49,