Evening star., 1953-03-01
D. c. Residents Urged to Fight
Road Via Rock Creek Park

NOOO |" NUN
Washingtonians were urged
yesterday to join the fight in
Montgomery County against the
use of Rock Greek Park for a
super-highway.
A statement issued by the Citi-
zens' Action Committee for Fair
Highway Planning criticised the
Maryland State Roads Commis-
sion for its plan to build Q six
lane thoroughfare through a part
of the park in the Bethesda
Chevy Chase area.
The statement described the
plan as folly" and said such a
road would destroy property
values. take land needed for
schools and recreation and still
fail to solve traffic problems.
Public spirited citizens and
associations in the District of
Columbia should realize that our
fight against the proposal is their
fight as much or even more than
it is ours" the committee said.
The statement urged District
groups to protest the use of Rock
Greek Park for anything other
than recreational purposes.
Text of Protest.
The text of the statement
follows:
This committee, the creature
Of many citizens, citizens asso-
Citations and community associa-
tions in Greater Chevy Chase,
acknowledges the need for i'm
proved highway facilities into
and around the city of WASH
ington. We do not seek to halt
progress. We do not hope to
avoid some of the scars that
must accompany the improving
of highways when they are nee
essary.
''But we do vigorously protest
any plan for commercial high
ways in Rock Creek Park in
Maryland or the District of Co
lumbia.
"The Maryland State Roads
Commission has approved and
commenced work on the first leg
of a super six-lane highway for
commercial vehicles which will
come into and use Rock Greek
Park in Maryland with the ulti-
mate purpose of forcing the op-
ening of Rock Creek Park
through its length in the Dis
trict of Columbia. This is\ de-
fined as the southeast branch of
Highway 240.
Insult to Communities.
I'VE protest this serious pro-
posal. not only for it's folly and
needlessness, but for these fur
ther reasons:
Because it is an insult to our
communities and destructive of
real values;
Because it would constitute
wasteful expenditure of public
money and would not accomplish
the traffic purposes alleged to
prompt it's building;
Because it is taking vital
acres from school grounds, de-
stroying recreation sites and
threatening highly developed
Fairgrounds.
Public spirited citizens and
associations in the District of
Columbia should realize that our
fight against the proposal is their
fight as much or even more than
1T is ours, recognizing that these
District citizens and associations
have a care about the preServa-
,tion Of Rock Creek Park to its
dedicated purposes. For it is more
than obvious that the plans and
wishes Of highway authorities in
Maryland and in the District
contemplate extension of this
Six-lane speedway from East
West highway southwark through
the park to its downtown termi-
nal. Let there be no discounting
this.
Sure Protest Will Work.
"We are certain that If the
interested people and associa-
tions in the District of Co
lumbia were to solidly protest
use of Rock Creek Park for any
thing other than recreational
purposes, and were to make it
clear that to use it for a speed
way and truck route would be
accomplished only after a long
and bitter struggle. it would find
the Maryland highway authori-
ties abandoning their demands
in support Of Highway 240 by any
route between Wisconsin avenue
in Maryland and the center of
Rock Creek Park on East West
highway. For. without prospect
Of getting all the way into Wash
ington with this speedway
through Rock Creek Park, the
Southeast Branch Of Highway
240 would find itself dead-ended
at East West highway.