Evening star., 1947-10-23

0fficia|sStudy
5BarneyCirc|e
Counter Plans
Capital Transit Co.
Offers 4 at Hearing
To- Cure BottIeneck

" S0lS 1OtlISiISSN
Five alternatives to highway Di-
rector H. G. Whitehursts plan to
break the traffic bottleneck at
Barney Circle by putting the street.
car terminal there underground
were under study by the Commits
sioners and the Public Utilities
Commission today.
Four Of the counter proposals,
presented at public hearing in the
District Building yesterday, came
from the Capital Transit Co. The
fifth was that of A. D. Calvert of
the Lincoln Park Citizens Associa-
ton.
Mr.. Calvert. whose views had the
Endorsement of the Southeast Coun-
Gil Of Citizens Associations, called
on the Commissioners and PUG Of
ficials, sitting as Joint board" to
put the bus terminal, as well as the
streetcar terminal, underground in
the area bounded by K, L, Fifteenth
and Water streets Sc.
The Highway Departments
scheme, recently announced by Capt.
Whitehurst, would pass through
traffic from Pennsylvania avenue
to the Sousa Bridge directly through
the center of the present circle, over
the proposed underground street.
car terminal. Loading areas for
buses would be provided on the
sides.
Cars Back-up on Bridge.
In presenting their four alterna-
tives to Capt. Whitehurst's plan,
transit company officials denied
buses and streetcars are responsible
for traffic jams at the circle, which
cause lines of cars to back up on
the Sousa Bridge during morning
rush hours.
The chief cause of the congestion,
they contended, is the fact that
traffic coming into town over the
bridge and down Pennsylvania ave.
nue. is stopped one-third of the time
to allow outbound traffic to enter the
circle from Seventeenth street and
Kentucky avenue.
They said that, as opposed to the
Highway Departments scheme
their four alternatives would take
care of this difficulty.
Specifically. they suggested:
/. That all traffic now coming
over Seventeenth street and Ken
lucky avenue Sc. should be de-
toured through Potomac avenue
and Fifteenth street to approach
the circle along Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. Seventeenth street would be
made one way, northbound, and
Kentucky avenue would be blocked
of south of Potomac avenue.
2. That If this did not provide
sufficient relief, buses following this
route as far as Fifteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue Sc. might
continue south to K street Sc,
terminating their run at loading
+ area Immediately southwest of the
circle, without ever entering the
circle itself, as they now do.
Overpass Proposed.
3. That, If experience should
prove neither of these remedies
sufficient, an overpass over the
present circle, from Sousa Bridge
, onto Pennsylvania avenue, would
solve the problem.
4. That, alternatively an under
pass might be substituted for such
an overpass.
Maj. Gordon Gravelle, company
traffic engineer, was Capital Tran
sits principal spokesman at the
hearing. Others taking the flool
for the company included F. G
Await, counsellor; William B. Ben.
nett, vice president, and Johr
Ecker, planning engineer
The afternoon was devoted tt
hearing the views of citizens asso.
Citations and other special groups
most of whom supported the High.
way Departments proposals lin
principle" and said the best solu.
,tion Of the Barney Circle problem
would be to "do away with" tht
circle.
This was the opinion of the Fed.
Grafton of Citizens Associations, a.
expressed by Milo F. Brinkley
chairman of the Public Utilitie.
Committee. Mr.. Brinkleys state.
ment drew the fire of Frank P
Randolph of the Southeast Coun.
Gil. who criticized the federation
for not backing up the council ir
its support of Mr.. Calvert's propose
to. put the buses underground.
Gen. Grant Gives Views.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III, chair
man Of the National Capital Parl
and Planning Commission, said h,
approved of Capt. Whitehurst's plar
"in principle" although there wer,
objections to underground street.
car terminals. He said an overpas.
would be "unattractive and dis.
tressing" but would cost less thar
an underpass.
Wallace Braun, deputy director
of the Department of Vehicles anc
Trafics said that organization ha.
been studying the possibility of re.
routing traffic into the circle al
suggested by the transit company
but felt this would Inconvenience,
about a quarter of the motorists
using the Sousa Bridge.
Backing Capt. Whitehurst's plan
with notifications were E. L
Merzereau. North Randall High.
lands Citizens Association; JOSEPH
H. Deckman and Mrs. Mabel Nor.
ris, Randle Highlands Citizens
Association; William Duvall, For
Davis Citizens Association: Arthel
Morrissette, Southeast Business.
mems Association, and Henry Aus.
tin, American Association Of Engi.
neerS.
Two witnesses who did not indorst
the Highway Departments position
were william Smun, speaking fol
the Citizens Council for Community
Planning, and Charles Barker, who
testified as a private citizen.
Johns Named to Head
Chest Business Unit