Evening star., 1949-11-24

reappointment.
Mr.. Upham, who will Serve for
four years, is a strong advocate OF
the theory that private enterprise
should solve Washington's park
ing problems. There have been
many demands that the Govern
ment do something about it. Mr..
Howat holds the same views
A former director Of the WASH
ington Board of Trade. Mr.. Up
ham was chairman Of its High
ways Committee and served as
chief engineer of the Delaware
State Highway Commission years
ago. After graduating from Tufts
College in 1908. he organized the
North Carolina State Highway
Commission and has had expert
ence In road construction in this
country, South America and Eu-
rope.
Howat Submits Report.
At yesterday afternoons meet
Ing at agency headquarters in the
District Building, Mark Lansburgh,
temporary chairman. presided.
District Director of Vehicles and
Traffic George E. Keneipp nomi-
mated Mr.. Upham and this motion
was seconded by F. j. Lovejoy.
Although Washington's park
ing problems are still largely un-
solved. the 1ong-range plan work.
ed out when the Motor Vehicle
Parking Agency was set up in
1945 "is still sound" in the opin-
ion Of Mr.. Howatt. who submitted
q report Of his stewardship yes
terday.
But It's going to take a lot
more cooperation on the part
3of every one who is in any posi-
ton to make decisions affecting
parking" the recently retired
chairman wrote in a letter to
Engineer Commissioner Gordon r.
Young.
In a 60-page report of agency
activities over the last four years,
Mr.. Howatt declared this three
phase program Should ultimately
be carried out"
/. Express buses operated over
express streets"
2. Fringe parking with shuttle
buses.
8. More downtown garages to
"take care of short-time parkers
and an-day parkers who need their
cars during the day."
Would Study Zoning.
The former chairman also sug-
gested:
Continued study of possible
zoning regulation amendments to
help parking conditions in con-
gested residential areas. II am
not convinced" he said, that all
the present regulations have
proved, or will prove, beneficial in
practice, or that all has been done
along these lines that can be
DONE"
Modification of the Building
Code "as chronological progress in
construction materials and tech
niques are made which can re-
duce garage construction costs
without sacrifice Of public safety
considerations"
Changes in legislation necessary
to allow" controlled and limited
parking Of automobiles between
the building line and sidewalk in
front Of commercial parking lots"
The Commissioners Traffic Advi-
sorry Board only last Monday made
q similar recommendation.
Continued attempts should
be made to have the Federal Gov
ernment remove the Civil Service
and Tariff Buildings (at Eighth
and F streets N.W) and return
the squares they occupy to COM
mercial USE" Mr.. Howat said
these two buildings choke off"
the retail area.
Would Redevelop Market.
1.-THE proposal to redevelop
Western Market Cat Twenty-flrst
and K streets N.W) to include q
substantial amount Of parking
should be carried out as soon az
possible" This was included in
an earlier report, but Mr.. Howat
said to date the agency has been
Gin its efforts to have
this site leased for redevelopment
as planned"
In the letter to Brig. Gen.
Young, Mr.. Howat declared II am
convinced that the (park-
ing) problem can be solved not
only In the downtown area, but
also throughout the District" He
noted that mo large city has ef-
fectively solved the parking prob
lem," but that IT don't think any
cities have yet surpassed our ef-
forts"
The most critical need for
"short-time parking space is now
in the retail area" south Of New
York avenue, Mr.. Howat said.
In a detailed review Of the
fringe parking plan. which was Of
abandoned last March, Mr..
Howat asserted II honestly felt
then, and still do, that the plan
had not been given a fair trial"
clear proof" Of this, he said, is
that the lots at Twenty sixth and
E streets NV. "are running to
full capacity and making profit"
under private operation. Failurs
Of the service under the Mer-
chants. Parking Service, he said.
resulted from errors in manage
ment, location and d ration.