Evening star., 1953-09-16
Broyhi|| Sees
Traffic Action
Up tOCongress
Virginion Keynotes
Conference on
Area Problems

day that Congress must be made
to devote more attention to seri-
Gus traffic problems in the Wash
ington area and to "acknowl-
edge that it has a responsibility
to help solve them.
The legislator made the appeal
In keynote address opening the
second annual Commissioners
and Governors Conference on
Metropolitan Area Traffic Prob
lens, held at the United States
Chamber of Commerce Building.
More than 200 officials and
citizen leaders attended the all
day seminar to discuss highway,
public transportation, traffic
control and enforcement prob
lens. Accent was on problems
common to the District, Mary
land and Virginia and steps
needed to work them out on a
regional basis.
Wants New Commission.
Mr.. Broyhill said he felt the
best approach to traffic, high
way and bridge needs is ap-
pointment of a White House
commission first to study exact
needs, then propose solutions.
His idea is embodied in a bill
which has passed the House.
In the Senate, however, it was
amended to provide also for a
regulatory body to take up area
wide questions Of public trans
portation rates and schedules.
The Virginian predicted that
the House next year will reject
the amendment and that the
study commission proposal will
be passed and sent to the White
House.
In a prognosticating mood,
Mr.. Broyhill said he also was
willing to predict that:
/. No bill will be passed to
create any central mass transit
regulatory authority until the
need for it is determined by ex-
tensive study.
2. Congress will authorize con-
struction next year of at least
one new bridge across the Poto-
mac River.
Won't Predict Site.
II am not willing yet" he
added. Ito stick my neck out to
the point of saying whether it
will be a bridge at E street (pro-
posed by the District Commits
sionerS) or at Jones Point in
Alexandria proposed by Mr..
Broyhill for construction at
Federal expense).
But unless the E street advo-
Gates come up with better solu-
tions to approaches to that
bridge, he said, he thought first
priority would go to the Alex
andria bridge. He said the latter
span would divert several thou
sand cars a day from crowded
Washington streets and divert
80 or 80 per cent of all truck
traffic.
Mr.. Broyhill also urged that
drastic steps be taken to "en-
courage more people to use pub
lie transportation" and that
more emphasis must be put on
highway improvement from a
civil defense viewpoint. He de-
clared that existing highways
and traffic patterns are totally
inadequate" in the event the city
should have to be evacuated
quickly.
He also urged that the area
problems be attacked as single
problem rather than as inde-
pendent matters in each juris-
diction.
The conference was opened by
Brig. Gen. Louis w. Prentiss,
District engineer commissioner
and conference chairman. Dis
trict Commissioner samuel
Spencer welcomed the group.
Recommendations Due.
Dozens of highway, traffic,
planning and court officials par
ticipated as members of four
committees which were to pre-
sent detailed recommendation
to the conference.
The committees, whose reports
have been made public during
the last few weeks, are enforce
ment, headed by District Deputy
Police Chief John Agnew: con-
gestion, headed by J. N. Robert
son, District highway director;
driver licensing and vehicle in
spection, Traffic Director George
e. Keneipp, and courts, headed
by Judge Walter M. BaStian of
the U. S. Court for the District
of Columbia.
The committee reports called
for widespread reforms in vir-
tually every phase of traffic and
highway improvement.
To Meet Overlapping Situation.
Mr.. Robertson urged creation
of an "area highway improve
ment district" which would be
empowered to build roads and
bridges where DiStrict-Mary-
and-Virginia Jurisdictions over
lap. He acknowledged that leg
islation would have to be passed
by Congress as well as the Legis-
1atures of the two States. He
said his group would draw up a
suggested bill which could go to
the three legislative bodies.
The city highway chief also
made a strong plea for the E
street bridge. Asked about diff
ferenceS with the National Cap
ital Planning Commission on
this and other projects, he said
that in the final analysis Con
gress will have to decide"
Planning Commission Director
John Nolen. jr., meanwhile.
blamed a difference in basic ap-
proach" for disagreements be-
tween the two bodies. He said
the Planning Commission was