Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-12-20

Text of Committee Recommendations on
Traffic in Snow. Pose AZ
seven days, the board approved
plans but they lacked essential
details.
Under the program, these things
would happen:
Most passenger cars would be
forbidden to use certain principal
thoroughfares after they become
slippery.
The Federal Government would
be urged to dismiss its employees
on a pre-arranged schedule, so
the streets would not become
clogged suddenly and excessive de-
mands would not be placed upon
public transportation facilities.
Area Cooperation Urged.
Officials of suburban cities and
towns in Virginia and Maryland
would be asked to coordinate
their snow emergency plans with
the District.
Arrangements would be made to
assemble large pool of privately
owned towing equipment which
would be called out to move We
hicles stalled on streetcar tracks
ON heavily-traveled traffic lanes.
The plan was proposed by an
advisory committee which the
Commissioners named last Tues
day to study the traffic paralysis
that inevitably develops when
snow falls here.
Some features of the program
are similar to one adopted Monday
in Baltimore. The District COM
mittee told the Commissioners,
however, that it was unable to
complete a listing of all streets
that should be blocked of to most
drivers.
$50 Miles of Streets.
In Baltimore, the names of all
streets affected were included In
a program drawn up in only eight
hours.
Traffic Director George Z.
Keneipp. chairman of the Ad-
visory Committee, said it is pro-
posed to designate about $50
miles of streets as thoroughfares
which cannot be used unless cars
are equipped with tire chains or
snow-tread tires.
The streets in question would be
reserved primarily for vehicles
used in public transportation, po-
lice and fire vehicles, ambulances,
mail trucks and certain others.
+ In order to make this regula-
ton legal, the Commissioners will
amend the District laws. This
requires them to advertise the
change for at least 10 days before
final adoption.
Street List Next Week.
The Advisory Committee said
| it would be unable to furnish
a listing of streets until next
Thursday. Thus, the changes
will not become legal until Janu-
airy or Z.
The committee said it considered
proposals to require use of chains
on all automobiles. require cars
to haul a bag of sand for emer-
gency use and urge the expansion
of the city program of sailing icy
streets.
Chain Supply Limited.
These were discarded for q
variety of reasons. In the case of
chains. the committee said steel
Iallotments are being limited. It
said there is no practical way to
enforce a regulation for sand
bags. The report said salt cannot
be used on covered concrete
streets because it deteriorates the
road bed. Nevertheless. members
said the city probably will do more
sailing on asphalt pavements.
Immediately after approving the
report, the Commissioners wrote
Civil Service Commissioner Robert
RanSpeck, asking him to discuss
the matter of Federal employee
|dismissals with the Federal Coun-
ell of Personnel Administration.
The Commissioners want Gov
eminent workers to stay at home
if firm forecast" of heavy snow
fall is received by 6 am. on a
workday.
Staggered Dismissals Asked.
They also want the Government
to dismiss employees on an orderly.
but staggered schedule, if a firm
forecast" of snow is predicted dur
ing the day.
IT snow should fall Unexpectedly
during working hours, the District
wants the Government to release
employees at the regular times.
This is held preferable to a mass
dismissal at one time because pub
lie transportation is not available.
to meet the unexpected demand.
The Commissioners or some one
designated by them will have au-
thority to declare a snowstorm
emergency. When such action is
taken. the entire program will be-