Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1951-01-11
The Rock Creek Expresswoy

The proposed construction of expressway in
the Maryland portion of Rock Creek Park keystone
in plan for a number of controlled highways
in Montgomery County that would be similar to the
road network in New York suburbs, as revealed by
Blair Lees report the past years activities of the
Maryland National Park and Planning Commission,
brings to mind that such proposal had been advanced
by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce many years
Some time before 1888 resolution from the COM
mittee on streets, bridges and highways, headed by
Judge D. A. DeLashmutt, passed by the local
chamber which proposed that highway be constructed
through Rock Creek Park in Maryland and the District
of Coumba-entering the park from the Rockville
Pike at Willow Inn on the west-another spur to run
from Silver Spring intersectng that highway. six
lane highway-three lanes either side of the creek
proposed. At that time there subdivisions
the proposed route.
The Rockville Chamber of Commerce through the
Bethesda Chamber of Commerce succeeded in having
the following resolution introduced by E. stonebraker
on February FL, 1888 in the Civic Federation:
WHEREAS, the citizens of Montgomery County
without high-sDeed highway at peak periods Of
travel from the Metropolitan Section to the business
center of Washington, and
WHEREAS it takes twenty minutes minimum
in private car from the District Line to Dupont Cir
cle thirty minutes from Chevy Chase Circle to the
downtown section by way of Connecticut Avenue and
forty minutes from the District Line at Wisconsin Ave-
to the U. S. Treasury, and
WHEREAS Montgomery County development and
advancement is in competition with that of Arlington
County, Virginia, where twenty minutes is the maxi
time limit to the business section and Government
building area IN washington Vas and County
DESTROYS of reducing the time required to connect
Metropolitan Montgomery County with the business
section of Washington, therefore
"BE 1T RESOLVED that the Bethesda Chamber
of@Commerce OF Montgomery County urges, endorses
and recommends the construction of wide boulevard
through Rock Creek Park with bridges where fords
now exist said highway to be made one-way super
roadway at rush hours, to have minimum of six to
eight lanes with a minimum speed of forty miles and
to be without light signals at peak traffic periods
week days and to connect the Metropolitan Section of
Montgomery County where Rock Creek driveways now
intersect the District Line and Constitution Avenue
where it ntersects the Potomac River Speedway.
RESOLVED, further that copies of this resolution
be sent to the Montgomery County Civic Federation,
to Senator's Tydngs and Radcliffe and to Congressman
Lewis"
The Civic Federation referred the resolution to it's
committee Roads, Streets and Bridges and that
the last heard of it. What opportunity that group
missed
The Silver Spring Advisory Board of the American
Automobile Association, meeting on Monday with the
newly elected State Senator and members of the Assem-
bly, stressed strongly the urgent and imperative need
for prompt action in locating routes and developing
plan for financing the completion of main arterial
highways running toward Washington Baltimore, Fred
erick and Annapolis.
1t is to be hoped that the powers that be will look
with favor the proposed location of 240 through
Rock Creek Park 1t would be scenic route, would
be accessible to Montgomery County people and
would interfere less with already established subdvis-
ions than other proposed routes