Evening star., 1953-09-22
Planning Group
Stands Firm for
DoWntoWnSpdn
Virginiuns Fail to
Turn Tide Against
E Street Bridge
By George Beveridoe

by george beverage
The National Capital Regional
Planning Council today re-
manned in support of a new
Potomac River bridge leading to
downtown Washington. despite
a strong move by Virginia dele
gates to reverse this stand.
The issue was resolved, at least
temporarily. at hectic session
yesterday. On another contro-
versy, the council voted also to
urge appointment of a planning
director who would be responsible
only to the council.
The bridge fight centered
squarely around the proposal of
District officials to build a span
from E street NV. While that
project was not singled out by
name, the council previously had
voted that equal priority should
be given a new bridge between
Memorial and Key Bridges-the
E street location-and one at
Jones Point, Alexandria.
Yesterday. C. c. Robinson,
director of the Northern Virginia
Regional Planning Commission,
presented conclusions of his
group that the E street project
should be deferred. Instead, he
said his group decided after a
lengthy study of traffic and
development factors that:
l. Approach streets to exist
ing bridges should be improved,
with the expectation that this
could double capacity of existing
spans.
Want Other Span Now.
2. The Jones Point bridge
should be built Immediately.
3. Eventual construction of
another bridge to tie in with
highways outside the city should
be urged.
He said these steps plus "some
sort of solution to mass transit
problems will, we are convinced,
obviate the necessity for impoS-
ing on the central area between
Memorial and Key Bridges a tre-
mendous volume of traffic for
which the street pattern is
neither adapted nor reasonably
adaptable"
After presentation of the re-
port, John w. Brookfleld of Fair
fax moved that the council re-
iterate support of the Jones
Point bridge. but oppose the
downtown span until after the
Jones Point "and perhaps other
bridges" are built.
Brig. Gen. Louis w. PrentiSs.
Engineer Commissioner. said he
agrees with need for the Jones
Point bridge to give through
traffic a bypass of Washington.
But the E street span is needed,
he contended, because nearly all
the peak-hour traffic now JAM
ming existing bridges is headed
for downtown parts of the city.
Blair Lee III, council secretary,
proposed as a compromise that a
bridge be built just down-river
from the Fourteenth street rail-
road bridge. Such a span would
tie in with a proposed bridge
over the Washington channel and
with the proposed Southwest
freeway along F street S.W.
No Vote on Plan.
Mr.. Lee said such a bridge
would meet the ruSh-hour de-
mandS for river crossings to
downtown Washington. while
ducking many of the objections
raised to the E street proposal.
A vote, however, was not taken
on his proposal.
Instead, after lengthy debate
and by a split vote, the council
reiterated support of the Jones
Point project and took TO action
to reverse previous support for
the downtown bridge.
The controversy over a plan
ming director for the council CEN
ters around whether the ap-
polntee will become a staff men,
ber of the National Capital Plan
ming Commission and subject to
some control by that commission.
The problem arises because Con-
gress. in forming the regional
council last year, gave operating
funds for both groups to the
planning commission. 1t said the
planning commission should pro-
vide service needed by the coun-
Gil out of the single appropria-
ton.
Planning commission officials
argue that Congress intent was
that there be a unified staff.
However, the council executive
committee. composed of Chair
man Robert NJ. Watkins, of
Maryland, Gen. Prentiss and c
Luckett Watkins, of Alexandra.
has urged that the council di-
rector be free from control by
the planning commission or any
other constituent member of the
regional council.
discounted as TSsue
Gen. PrentiSs argued yeSter-
day that the council members
were making "a mountain out
Of molehill' on the issue. He
said he thought the planning
commission should hire the
regional planner, but tell him
to report to the council for duty.
He said such special duty
practices were common in the
Army and that he saw nothing
complicated about it.
Attorneys for the groups, how
ever, said there might be legal
complications about such a prac-
tice.
After a move to table the
matter was beaten, the group
voted:
l. That an outstanding quail
fed" planner be selected by
unanimous action bV the council