Evening star., 1952-02-01
!
Board Of Trade
Hears Robinson
On Road Plans
$140 Million Project
For District Outlined
By Commissioner
By John w. Stepp

members turned out in force yes
terday to hear Brig. Gen. Bernard
L. Robinson, Engineer Colmmis-
sionef, outline the new $40 mil
lion highway plan at a luncheon
meeting in the Washington Hotel.
Only so members had arranged
to attend, but 135 showed up.
Among them were the chairmen
of six of the boards municipal
planning committees.
While the membership listened
intently to Gen. Robinson's report
only one question was forthcom-
ing at the close: How did the
Commissioner feel about the Dis
trict's borrowing money to finance
the foad plan?
The general ducked that one.
ST want to- take q look at the
whole picture before / state any
thing on that score, he said. "We
don't want to go of on a tan
gent"
NcpOEGS III IEUSpCCts
Thomas j. Groom, board presi-
dent, told reporters after the
meeting that he hopes commit
tee studies on traffic and property
value problems will be completed
Ia time for a report in March.
At that time. Mr.. Groom said,
It is likely that the boards traffic
findings will be considered in
relation to the new highway plan.
Speaking of the program, Mr..
Groom said the board is parti-
cularly in favor of the co-ordi-
mated nature of the Metropolitan
Area highway survey, which led
to preparation of the District
plan. Maryland and Virginia au-
thorities are due soon to release
their portions Of the co-ord1nated
area road plan.
Samuel R. Harrison, deputy di-
rector of District highways. is
chairman of the Regional High
way Planning Committee, whose
study of area traffic problems be-
gan nearly four years ago.
Mr.. Harrison acted as chief
liaison between the committee
and the District Highway Depart
men and took an important part
in the formulation of the local
highway program.
Gen. Robinson dealt at some
length with various aspects OF the
10-year program. i
Three Chief Factors.
He explained that population
growth, more automobiles and
trucks to serve the population and
an unbalanced distribution Of all
three are chief factors necessitat-
ing remedies for the area highway
system.
The most important single fac
tor. according to Gen. Robinson,
has been the increased population
in the entire area.
The further fact that large num-
bers of area residents live on the
opposite side of town from their
Jobs is, in turn, responsible for
the greater part" Of the traffic
tangle, since many pass through
the downtown area.
"Ten years ago." Gen. Robin
SON pointed out. there were only
two traffic flows of any conSe-
ouence-inbound in the morning
and outbound in the evening. To-
day the outbound morning move
ments and the inbound evening
movements on a number of radial
routes are almost equal to the
flows in the opposite directions"
Converting Causes Trouble.
Particular trouble, he said, is en-
countered where these traffic ar
teries converge and cross each
other.
Data on the travel habits Of
area motorists showed that about
$4,000 trips were made during
an average 24-hour weekday in
1850 having destinations down.
town.
On top Of that. 122,500 trips
passed through the downtown sec
tion en- route to some other point
in the same period.
These figures clearly indicated,
according to Gen. Robinson, that
an inner-belt street layout should
siphon away from downtown the
As per cent of motorists who want
to get to the other side of the
central area.
The study committee also de-
termined that every passenger car
In the Metropolitan Area averaged
nearly four trips daily. and trucks,
seven. This works out to about 1.3
million passenger trips and
181 900 truck trips on an average
24-hour weekdays in 1850, and
that doesn't include interstate
traffic.
Bridge Traffic Jumps.
Traffic over the Potomac River
bridges in the last 10 years. in
creased 65 per cent. to 200,410
trips, per 24-hour weekday, and
l10 per cent to 173,606 trips, over
the Anacostia River Bridges.
A check of 10 principal streets
showed a 80 per cent traffic in
crease, to 616,274 trips. Incoming
volume from Prince Georges
County went up 80 per cent. to
194,027 trips. ana Montgomery
County. 40 per cent. to 151.0l5
trips.
But, Gen. Robinson emphasized.
It is in the downtown area that
the greatest degree OF conges-
ton, driving strain and delay and
increased cost of motor vehicle
operation are found"
'sThere," he warned. 'will be
found progressively stronger eyi-
dence Of community blight which
threatens the economic base Of
the District by endangering the
value Of the existing assessable
property"
Nor did the Districts perennial
parking problem escape the atten-
%,o,, of the Engineer. Commissioners