Evening star., 1947-10-08

keeps q city strong; help 1t get rid
Of the wastes that weaken its fiber.
As cities grow and trafiic becomes
heavier, the system needs overhaul
ing from time to time, and some
major overhauling of its highway
system faces Washington today.
Highways are vital factors In
the development Of real property
In q city, hence this brief review of
what the future may hold for Wash
ington in the way of new and i'm
proved highways.
More Widened Streets.
First, there are likely to be lot
more streets widened SO they are
like K street NV. is now.
Then there are likely to be q lot
more grade separations at hot" in
tsrections, and more in the way Of
traffic islands and channeled lanes,
like those at Sixteenth and U
ytreets NV. and Eleventh street and
Vermont avenue NV.
On top of this, there is likely to
be q system of "superroads" OF two
kinds located somewhat as follows
and these, II built, will be the donli-
nant highway factor in the location
Of future real estate development:
l. A midcity expressway leading
north from the new South Capitol
Street Bridge, past the Soldiers
Home.
2. Another expressway up the east
DiyAY
Crosstown Expressway.
3. Extension Of Constitution and
Independence avenues eastward, and
perhaps a big crosstown expressway
to supplement them.
1. An expressway through Glover
Archbold Park to be known as the
Arizona Avenue Expressway. Or, II
this meets with likely opposition,
parkway through Fort Kemble Park
that would become the westernmost
leg of the proposed Fort drive.
5. Extension of the Rock Creek
parkway northward.
6. A parkway through Anacostia
Park from North Carolina avenue to
the District line.
7. The proposed George Washing
ton Memorial Parkway from Mount
Vernon to Great Falls on both sides
Of the Potomac.
ga belt route over existing
streets in the outer sections OF the
District and/or the controversial
Fort drive.
9. Additional bridges over the Po-
tomac at Great Falls and Alexar1-
dria, and perhaps a third between
Key and Chain Bridges. Also ad-
ditional bridges over the Anacostia.
10. Links connecting all these to-
eether, and with big Maryland and
Virginia roads like the proposed
Northern Freeway and Baltimore
Washington parkway, and the al
ready existing Shirley and Suitland
parkways.
Two Schools Of Thought.
Some Of these proposals duplicate
one another in whole or in part.
There are two schools Of thought
where this is so. and on the exact
location and extent of others.
One school of thought. led by the
District Highway Department, holds
that the widening and Improvement
of existing streets and the construc-
ton Of expressways should be based
almost entirely on the movement OF
traffic, without too much regard Tor
the effect wider streets and super
roads may have on residential and
business neighborhoods II they slash
through them.
The other school, led by the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission, favors widening only q
selected few streets to carry all
through trafic, and locating these,
and any expressways built, so they
will serve as natural boundaries for
residential and business sections,
thus keeping traffic from unneces-
sarily depreciating property values.
The type Of expressway favored by
the planning school Of thought
would be somewhat less costly and
erandiose than that urged by the
Highway Department. Also, in some
cases, the planners prefer parkWays
instead of expressWays. Parkways
are the same as expreSsways except
that commercial traffic would be
barred from using then, and en-
phasis would be placed on develop
Ing their scenic beauty and recrea-
tional possibilities.
Highway Department View.
The Highway Department takes
hIIi1f Tn