Evening star., 1952-05-19
Steps 10 Modernize
Traffic System in
District Area Urged

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highway experts from the District,
the cities of Alexandria and Falls
Church and Prince Georges, Mont
gomery, Arlington and Fairfax
Counties.
| Noting that the street systems
in the area were designed 80 years
ago to bear light traffic burdens,
the committees report added that
since then populations and vehicle
Registrations have increased vastly
For the most part. the report
charged. work done since has been
in the nature of temporary i'm
provements which could only put
of total traffic stagnation.
j Delay on New Routes.
The improvements, it continued,
were intended to relieve conges-
ton at particular locations, and,
in general, capacity has been
steadily declining in relation to
rising demand. This is largely
because large-scale construction
Of new routes has been delayed
by lack of funds, the report said.
Highlights of the committees S
report and a panel discussion by
it's members will be presented at
the conference on June 4 in the
United States Chamber of Com
merce Building. Two similar
committees on enforcement and
driver licensing and periodic We
hicle inspection will also partic-
ipate.
| Another committee will present
the public viewpoint. and a large
share of the conference will be
devoted to answering questions
from the public on traffic prob
lens. Questions must be sub
mitted by mail in advance to
Traffic Conference, Municipal
Center, Washington I, D. c. The
conference is open to the public.
Eight Recommendations.
AS result of its study, the COM
mittee came up with eight specific
recommendations aimed at a
permanent cure for traffic conges-
ton. They are:
l. Federal legislation to define
a metropolitan highway i'm
provement area" in which the
Government G has a special inter-
est because of its activities here.
The legislation would also set up
a body to pass on proposed i'm
provements so that special Federal
loans, not bearing interest, could
be made to finance improvements.
2. Traffic advisory boards should
be set up in each of the juris-
dictions. They would make recon-
mendations for improvements to
planning bodies in their own
areas and all meet together once
a year to discuss regional prob
lens.
3.A ftll-time traffic engineer
should be assigned in each juris-
diction which does not now have
one.
4. Police traffic divisions should
be set up in the jurisdictions
which do not now have them, and
all OF them should be better
utilized from a standpoint of en-
forcement and safety.
II 5. Inspection Of motor vehicles
SHOULD be compulsory in all jur-
F1sd1ctlons as great deal of traf-
nc capacity is lost on any road in
the vicinity of a disabled vehicle
apart from safety benefits which
accompany such inspections.
/ 6. A positive program of off,
street parking facilities and
blanket parking restrictions on
major thoroughfares.
z. People should be encouraged
to use streetcars and buses as
much as possible, especially in
urban areas.
3. Undertaking construction of
new highways and related facil-
tiles. No specific highways were
mentioned.
Planners Report Due Soon.
The report also noted the work
OF the Regional Highway Plan
ming Committee for Metropolitan
Washington which has been work.
ing for two years evaluating data
obtained through an origin-desti.
nation survey. The planning COM
mittee is expected to publish its
recommendations shortly.
The conference committee said
the plan put forth by the Plan
ming Committee or "its eouiva-
lent" should form the basis for
action by the conference or any
other body with a similar problem.
The conference committee re-
port also urged that the planning
committee be directed to continue
its work and supplement it with
up-to-date data as it becomes
available.
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