Evening star., 1948-01-31
Travel Survey
For Road Data
Planned in Area
D. c., Maryland and
Virginia Project to
Guide Highway Work

Guide Highway Work
The District, Maryland and Vir-
ginia have agreed to cooperate in
o $150, 900 survey Of the travel habits
of people in this area, designed toI
provide data, on which to base a
long-range program for the con-
struction of roads in and around
Washington.
Tentative plans for the study were
drawn up Thursday at an unher-
aided meeting Of State and city
highway officials. They call for the
conducting of interviews in between
and 10 per cent-perhaps 1900
of the homes in Washington and
Alexandria and the nearby counties
Of Prince Georges, Motgomery, Fair
fax and Arlington.
The Thursday meeting in the Dis
trict Building Office of Highway Di-
rector H. G. Whitehurst, attended by
% roads and planning officials, was
called at the instigation of the Pub
lie Roads Administration. That
Federal bureau inspired the idea
of the local survey, which will be
similar to studies already conducted
under PRA aegis in the metropolitan
districts surrounding more than 60
American cities.
Start Planned for April.
"This being the Capital of the
Nation-and growing as it is-we
have deemed it highly important
for some time to make a survey
here" c. E. Swain, PRA division
engineer, said today. Mr.. Swain
represented the Federal Govern
ment at the meeting Thursday.
The plan is to get the study start
ed in April and to finish it in Au-
gust. 1t is expected that series
of analytical reports, based on the
data collected, will be published
next year by the city and county
highway departments concerned.
The study is based primarily on
the assumption that, before decid-
ing what roads people need, one
must find out where people want
to go and by what method of trans
portation they want to get there.
All forms of local, public and pri-
vate transportation will be covered
in the questionnaireS.
The $150,000 figure for the total
cost of the survey is the estimate
of PRA. Whatever the final fig
ure turns out to be, half of it will
be paid by the Federal Government.
The other half, according to the
preliminary agreement, is to be di-
vided between the District and the
two States involved.
ID. C. Share 60 Per Cent.
In proportion to the populations
concerned, the approximate division
of costs agreed upon Thursday was
so per cent to the District, % per
cent to Maryland and 18 per cent
to Virginia.
Capt. Whitehurst told reporters
it is estimated 125 persons may
be employed in conducting the sur
vey after it gets into full swing.
Each of the local communities is
to handle its side of the study, he
said, although the operation is to
be co-ordinated through his office.
S. r. Harrison, Capt. Whitehurst's
principal assistant, will serve as
general manager of the project, it
was agreed.
The highway director stressed
that the survey is strictly a fact
finding venture. Each community
will continue to make its own road
construction plans. The purpose
of the study is to provide the COM
munities with a factual background
for their planning.
The survey is to be conducted on
sample" basis, similar to that
employed in public opinion polls.
In outlying sections, the sample
may comprise 10 per cent of the
homes. In downtown sections, how
ever, a fair cross section may be
obtainable through interviews in
only per cent of the dwelling units,
Mr.. Swain said.
Interviewers calling at the houses
will question each member of the
family as to where he went on the
preceding day and how he got there.
This information is expected to pro-
vide the basic data of the survey,
Mr.. Swain said.
Road Checks Planned.
In addition to home interviews,
q system of road checks is planned
for rural areas, in which a given
percentage of cars will be halted and
their origins and destinations as
certained.
Capt. Whitehurst said he hopes
to recruit interviewers for the sur
vey in Washington through the CO.
operation of citizens and civic asso-
Citations. He plans to appoint survey
supervisors in all association areas
and to get them to select people in
their groups who would be willing,
for pay, to conduct the house-to-
house ouestionnaires on their own
time IN the evening.
Mr.. Harrison is to represent the
District on a working committee
for the survey established at the
meeting Thursday. Other members
of this group are K. M. Wilkinson,
Virginia State Highway Depart
ment; George Lewis, Maryland
State Roads Commission; Fred w.
Tuemmler, Maryland-National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission.
Also Leroy Peabody, Clifford
Stonburner and T. j. Stockton, rep
resenting the Alexandria, Arlington
and Fairfax planning commissions,
respectively, and S. F. Coffman of
the Public Roads Administration.