Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-11-20
THE EVENING STAR
Traffic Board AssaiIs
Fringe Parking Plan
OF Capital Transit

Cdpllal transit Co.'S recon-
mendations for fringe parking
were assailed last night by the
Parking Committee of the Com
missionerS' Traffic Advisory Board.
The transit firm also was charged
with fostering plan beneficial to-
itself and seeking to obtain by po-
litical means what it cannot OBJ
tain by ordinary business COMPETE
ton.
The caustic report was handed
to the press during a meeting of
the Traffic Board in Municipal
Center. Owing to it, explosive
nature" Board Chairman Fred L.
Halter suggested that copies of the
report be sent to all members for
further study. The report will
be voted upon at the next meet
ing of the board.
Following its phase of severe
criticism, the report made Ger
tain recommendations of it's own
designed to ameliorate the park
ing problem, in lieu of CAPITAL
Transit's proposal.
The transit plan, in essence,
called for establishment of a series
of parking lots located along the
fringeS of the downtown section.
co-ordinated with frequent linn
ited-bus service during morning
and evening rush periods between
the fringe areas and downtown.
All-day curb parking would be
banned on most downtown streets.
with short-term, non-rush- hour
parking permitted in some places.
Sees Company Alone Benefited.
This committee" the report
stated. has reached the conclu- 4
sion that the plan suggested by
the Capital Transit Co. is bene-
fetal only to the transit company.
and that the Commissioners Traf- /.
flc Advisory Board should not
make any effort to pull the chest
nuts of the Capital Transit Co. !.
out of the fire. /,
1t Is submitted, IN the opinion
Of this committee, that part of
the reason for the downtown con-
gestion and tremendous use of
automobiles has been the failure
of the Capital Transit Co to prop
erly and adequately provide serv-
ice which the public could use
and that the public has therefore
become accustomed to using auto
mobiles for adequate and COM
Portable transportation"
The committee, in its recon-
mendatlons, suggested that the |
agencies involved with parking or
supervision of public service, con-
slider the following:
l. The Public Utilities Commits
sion should recognize that Capital
Transit is required to give some
thing in the way of service for a {
charge, and that if such service is
lacking by the business manage
ment, the company is not entitled
TO an increase now. |.
2. PUG should consider the pub
lie policy of the District that there ,
should be return on the invest
ment of owners of public utilities
based upon the actual cost to the {
owners. x
8. That the Motor Vehicle Park ,
ing Agency of the District has a :
means of solving the parking prob $
lens but has not taken advantage
of the rights conferred upon it by i,
Congress, nor has it made recon-
mendations which, IN some in
stances, might harm few indi- =
viduals but would benefit most of
the citizens of the District.
Condemnation Proposed. i
4. The Motor Vehicle Parking a
Agency should designate areas in l
the downtown section which are I
Immediately adjacent to impor- e
tant downtown centers and con-
denim, by eminent domain, entire
blocks close by these big shopping o
centers and build parking ga "
RACES with public funds. to be U
leased to private enterprise. :
5. The Federal Government and I
Congress have not been adequately n
informed about District parking Il
problems.
6. The Motor Vehicle Agency is Il
urged to consider use of some N
public parks near Office Isl
for parking purposes. c.
The report was signed by a
Ernest r. Brett, committee chair E
man. Other members of the COM d
are Nathan Lubar, attor- II
ney: Norman c. Kali, who is in
the advertising business: F.. Ell 81
wood Davis, attorney; Jack Blank, n
who is in the automobile business, N
and Maj. Barry Fox, U. S. A. F., A
retired. c