Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-05
Merchants 10 Renew
Silver Spring Drive
For Traffic Controls

For Traffic Controls
New demands for q revitalized
master plan, more public park
ing lots and improved traffic
movement for the prosperous
Silver Spring business commu-
nifty are expected in the new
year.
Businessmen, riding the crest
OF a Christmas shopping wave
that will make 1854 the biggest
sales year in the communty's
history, are eager to fortify the
regional center's position.
Optimism on the part Of ma
Jor stores reported planning
immediate expansion should
stimulate public officials to act
rapidly to preserve a good thing,
HAoAA4CCClA4C41 Sdys
Old Plan Outmoded.
Silver Springs master plan,
adopted by the Maryland-Na
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission in 1947 is outmoded,
they add.
Biggest need, however, is adj
ditional public parking despite a
Montgomery County sponsored
program that has seen some $2.2
million spent on parking lots
since the mid-1940's.
The community with some 231
retail stores. now has 3.055 park
ing spaces on county-owned lots
paid for out Of a special tax
on businessmen.
There are 1886 more spaces
on privately owned lots, some
600 on the streets and another
$50 on county lots still unim-
proved for total of 1881 spaces.
Despite these facilities, cars
this week have damned the
street and knotted traffic, espe-
cially yesterday and during night
shopping hours.
Georgia avenue at GAS
Thursday night looked like the
early morning District-bound
rush hour traffic." Police Capt.
Carroll v. Miller said. And
they were stopping here to
shop"
John McKeever, chairman of
the Silver Spring Board Of
Trades special traffic commit
tee. said the community needs
about twice as much public
parking space as it now has.
New Demands Seen.
Major store expansion plans
In the Colesville road-Fenton
street. Ellsworth drive area are
expected to bring increased de-
mands for additional parking
land acquisition in the area or
double-decking the 211-car lot
opposite The Hecht Co. The lat
ter is especially suited for dou-
ble-decking because Of access
without ramps from Pershing
drive to the south.
Silver Spring businessmen also
are getting citizen association
support for extension of Six
tenth street via Arson street
to Georgia avenue just north of
the business area.
Such a move would greatly
alleviate congestion at the Coles
ville-Georgia avenue intersec-
ton and permit through traffic
to bypass the business section, 81
David Scull, past president OF
the board of trade said.
Another plan being promoted
Is the improvement of Spring
street which runs north from
Colesville road making sharp
turn to the west and connecting
with Georgia avenue. The pro-
ject is slated this year.
Completion of both projects
would provide a bypass for
through traffic headed for the
District via Sixteenth street.
Trade board members now
serving an area close to a half
million people also are eager tc
have Western avenue extended
along the District line to East.
West highway.
Such move, they say, woulc
make Silver Spring more acces.
sible to Northwest Washington
shoppers from the area west Of
Rock Greek Park.
Montgomery County this veal
has some 100000 allotted fol
street projects in Silver Spring
Work is now underway OF
widening of Fenton street from
Sligo avenue to Bonifant stree
and on Cameron street from
Fenton to Georgia avenue.
Survey Aids Drive.
Other street-widening project