Evening star., 1951-09-13
Big Playground
Planned for
Foxha|| Village
Peak Traffic On Spans
Over Anucostiu Being
Studied by Officials
By Nelson M. Shepard

A large playground for the Fox
nall Village area was included to-
day in land acquisition items
by Federal planners that
would add 17l2 acres to the park
system.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, at the OPEN
ing of it's monthly session. ordered
condemnation proceedings for 8
acres of land at Forty eighth
and w streets NV. This insures
completion of the long sought
Foxhall playground in a single
Sixteen acres to be added to the
park system are in the District.
The remaining 112 acres, known
as the Hanstrapp property in Ar
lington County, is near Chain
Bridge at the corner of Glebe road
and Forty-first street.
Fort Drive Extension Sought.
Blair Lee III, public relations
officer, said this was the first ac-
quisition of land in the two re-
sections for the George
Memorial parkway
along the route from Spout Run
to the county line.
Condemnation proceedings also
were approved for a 5-acre ad-
dition to the Whitehaven park
way south of and adjacent to OBJ
circle. Another strip Is
sought for an extension of Fort
drive along the north side of Ne
braska avenue running east from
Ward circle. This is a 40-foot
strip involving $1,000 square feet.
Six scattered parcels totaling
612 acres will be condemned in
the Palisades Park area as addi-
tions. They are spaced in the
area from Thirtieth street to the
District line.
Russell Macdonald, land pur-
chasing officer who has returned
to the commission after a payless
six-week furlough, reported on the
real estate deals with the excep-
ton of the condemnation proceed
ings. They involved outright
purchase contracts.
These contracts also included
an addition of $4,000 square feet
to Rock Creek Park where Nichol-
son street NV. enters it.
Later today, the planners in
tend to make a personal inspec-
ton of peak-hour traffic condi-
before rendering what might be
formal approval of the East Capt.
tol street bridge plans tomorrow.
Plans for the new bridge, as
revised by j. E. Greiner Co., Bal
timore. consultants. will be pre-
sented to the Planning Commis-
sion by Highway Director John N.
Robertson at tomorrow's session.
OF special interest to the Federal
group is the traffic along Kenil-
worth avenue, one of the main
approaches to the East Capitol
street bridge.
Tomorrow's anticipated action
may be the final time the bridge
plans are to be brought before
NCPPC. If the plans are approved
by that group and by the District
Commissioners, as required by
law, it is presumed the District
can go ahead on a contractural
basis.
During an automobile trip in
the area, the planners will travel
across the Sousa, Anacostia and
South Capitol street bridges. They
hope to form some conclusion as
to the traffic load the new East
Capitol street span may lift from
these three.
Increase in Traffic.
Including the Benning road
bridge, which will be omitted from
today's study, comparative figures
for July, 1851 and July, 1850 show
an increase of IA per cent in the
number of vehicles using the four
bridges.
The South Capitol bridge, serv-
ing Washington's fastest growing
section, was used by 43,461
vehicles during a 24-hour count.
or 23.4 per cent more than the
equivalent day year ago. The
AnacoStia bridge experienced a 40
per cent increase, 30,144 vehicles
crossing it compared with 28,747
a year ago. Only the Sousa bridge
showed a decline. The 1886
vehicles that crossed it on a given
day last July were IL per cent
fewer in number than the 53,316
that used it on an equiva-
lent day in July year ago.
The Benning road bridge ex-
perienced an increase Of 13 per
cent in traffic over the 1850 count.
OA o. SlFC1A OdJ 1doU OuIyS Ot,0U0
vehicles crossed the bridge, COM
pared with 51,252 on the earlier
count.
Concerned With Approaches.
The planning commission at
this stage is far more concerned
with the approaches to the East
Capitol street bridge than with
The plans fer the structure itself.
The decreased traffic over the
5ousa bridge no doubt reflected
he more convenient route supplied
oy the South Capitol street span. 4
The inspection of approachey
% the newly authorized bridge, in
accordance with revised, plans.
will give an idea of how these
will affect the pro-
posed sports area at the end of
Cast Capitol street and in King
nan Lake. These approaches may
,e given continued study even
lfter the bridge plan is approved.