Evening star., 1953-07-19
10 Bar
Trucks From
Park Route 24O
Planners to Have
Right to Control
Type Of Traffic

Type of Truffic
The Maryland State Roads
Commission has decided to bar
trucks from the portion of the
new Route 240 which the com.
mission wants to build through
the Maryland portion of Rocl
Creek Park.
This stand was revealed in 9
letter to Interior Secretary Nc
Kay from Commission Chairman
Russell A. Mccain.
To accomplish this, Mr.. Nc.
Cain said the roads commission
has agreed that If the contro.
versial highway is built in the
park as planned, title to the
roadbed will be transferred tc
the Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
Called "Sad Mistake"
"This agency. by regulation
can control the type of vehiculal
traffic that would use this facil-
ity," he declared. He added:
IF title were vested in the
State Of Maryland, this commits
sion would have no control over
the type of traffic since there is
no existing statute that gives
the State Roads Commission the
right to restrict any State high
way from commercial usage"
Last week. Mr.. Mckay sent q
letter to the Maryland Governor
fatty opposing use of the park
for the highway. He urged Gov
McKeldin to persuade the roads
commission it would be a "sao
mistake"
Mr.. Mccain wrote the Letter
to Mr.. Mckay at the request Of
Gov. McKeldin. In it he out.
lined the basic reasons the road.
commission wants to build one
leg of the new Route 240 through
Rock Greek Park.
McKeldin is Neutral.
Gov. McKeldin said he has moi
taken a side in the controversy
But he added he felt an early
solution is essential. He ther
asked Mr.. Mccain to answer the
letter.
The text of the letter to Secre'
tary Mckay follows:
Gov. McKeldin has referred
to this Office your letter of July
6 pertaining to the use of a GER
tain section of Rock Creek Parl
for the extension of Q southeast
leg of U. S. Route 240 and has
requested that I reply to 20,
directly and furnish him with
a copy of my reply.
due to the terrific develop.
ment in and around the Me.
tropolitan area of Washington
it appears from information
given this commission by it's own
engineering department and it.
consulting engineers that the
only possible way in which thi.
situation can be solved is tt
utilize the small section of thu
border of Rock Greek Park.
Tentative Approval.
"AS you perhaps know, the
National Capital Planning Com.
mission, in approving the overall
highway plan for the Washing.
ton Metropolitan area, has giver
tentative approval to the con-
struction Of a similar parkway ir
another section of Rock Greek
Park.
"Under the long-range high
way construction program nov
being undertaken by the State
of Maryland, it is necessary that
careful and prompt attention be
! given to the construction oi
adequate highway facilities ir
the Montgomery County area
1t narrows down to the fact that
the possibility of adequate high.
way locations in the Washington
metropolitan area is so limited
that it appears that to provide
a satisfactory facility, certain
short sections of park land must
be utilized.
This commission is charged
with the responsibility of build
ing highways to take care of the
travelling public. The construc-
ton of proposed southeast leg
would call for a highway of the
parkway type, and this commits
sion has agreed that if permis-
sion is granted to utilize that
narrow section of Rock Greek
Park, we will permit title to the
roadbed to be vested in the
Maryland National Park anc
Planning Commission, so thai
this latter agency, by regulation
can control the type of vehiculal
traffic that would use this ia.
cility.
Definite Obligations.
If title were vested in the
State of Maryland, this commits.
sion would have no control over
the type of traffic since there is
no existing statute that gives the
State Roads Commission the
right to restrict any State high
way from commercial usage.
I'VE realize that the National
Capital Planning Commission
has certain definite obligations
under the Capper-Crampton Act
and we appreciate that the Jan
ming commission must use its
best judgment in the interpreta-
tion of these restrictions. On
the other hand, the State Roads
Commission is charged with the
responsibility for providing ade-
quate highway facilities into the
District from Maryland.
This commission is 'ery will
ing at any time to sit down with
the Capital Planning Commits
sion to see if some mutually sat-
isfactory arrangement can be
derived that will solve this prob
lem"
Residents Opposed
Lined up with Mr.. Mckay IN