Evening star., 1951-11-17
Traffic Solution
Called Check on
Suburban Trend
Downtown Property
Values Are at Stake, !,
Board Of Trade Told

the Washington Board Of Trade.
Speakers agreed the time ha.
come for action to control trenc
that threatens to. upset the bal.
ance of the whole community
Their addresses were followed by {
question-and-answer period, rep.
resenting a departure from tn,
regular programs at membership
luncheons.
Positive steps must be taken L
the outward trend is to be checked
in the opinion Of DR.. Homer Hoy
OF Chicago, leading urban lane
economist and author of the re.
cent business development stud,
in Arlington County, Va.
Obviously. DR.. Hoyt said, tn,
first step should be improvement
of the mass transportation ane
highway systems, ION which thu
downtown areas were founded.
Faster approaches should be pro.
vided from greater distances.
Not Enough Space.
Parking accommodations com,
next. but some 200 acres of spact
are required for 10000 cars
fact that makes it impossible fol
all motorists to take their car.
downtown daily, the exper
pointed out.
DR.. Hoyt said the strain on pub
lie and private transportation
would be lessened, If space nov
available In Washington can b,
used for apartment buildings. H,
sees no reason why so many per.
sons working here must drive init
the country to live in apartment.
which could be located within tn.
District.
Through traffic should b.
routed around the downtown sec.
ton. especially in view of the fac
that highway use has mounted
some so per cent since the enc
of the war and now approaches {
condition of complete blockade
in many cities. including Wash.
Iington.
The speaker estimated that
some $4.3 million in taxes are col.
|lected from downtown property
owners annually over the cost O,
the public service they receive. L
downtown values are allowed tt
ldepreciate, he warned, I'VE may
kill the goose that's laying the
golden eggs"
Sees Dispersal Dropped.
DR.. Max Wehrly. director of the
urban Land Institute and a for
Imer city planner of the Nationa.
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, pointed out that dis.
Ipersal of Federal agencies here
like plans for industrial dispersa.
elsewhere, appear to have beer
abandoned in favor Of long-range
decentralization.
He suggested that normal popu.
lation growth. more than any
policy of decentralization, is re.
sponsible for the rapid buildup o1
surrounding communities, ane
added, "but as long as the centra,
business district keeps on it's toes
I don't think it will be hurt com.
Ipetitively."
DR.. Wehrly said mot all thing:
have been done which could bt
done" by a team of merchants
businessmen and District author.
lities to build up the downtown
section on a basis of competition
with outlying community centers
Would End Traffic Bottlenecks.
He suggested taking full advan.
tage of off-street parking posi-.
bilities and using the power o.
eminent domain for acquiring tht
space.
A plea for removal of traffic
bottlenecks and for establishment
of additional parking facilitie
was made by Charles B. Dulcan
ST.. vice president and genera
manager Of the Hecht Co.
He said the fact that the Hech
Co. now has big department store.
in Arlington, Va, as well as il
Silver Spring, Md, has not les.
sened the interest of the manage.
ment in the downtown store ane
Its environs.
Mr.. Dulcan pointed out that
two "antiquated" Federal build.
ings occupy most of two block.
near the downtown store. creating
their own traffic bottlenecks. HI
suggested the space might better
be employed for parking on sew.
eral levels.
Sees Whole Area Affected.
Such an arrangement. Mr.. Dull.
can conceded. would be a big hell
to his own company, but it alst
would relieve the situation fol
"blocks and blocks in all direc.
tions."
Off street, fringe and under
ground parking can be developed
without marring the beauty o
! Washington, the executive de
clared. He suggested the railroad
should develop commuter service
and the Federal Government coule
do more about providing parking
for its own employees.
Washington's traffic congestion
is something of paradox, &C.
cording to Harland Bartholomew
who has been retained by thu
Planning Commission to study
local conditions.
Park Avenue Cited.
He pointed out the city has only
about a third as many cars pei
l,.ae