Evening star., 1954-10-14
Fringe Parking d.
Al Gas Stations
Being Explored
Survey to Show
Spnca Available
To Ease Congestion

A 10-day survey gets under
way today on whether gasoline
service station operators will join
in a fringe parking program to
help keep private automobiles
out Of downtown washington.
The proposal was one of two
moves initiated yesterday by
Brig. Gen. Louis w. Prentiss,
the Engineer Commissioner, to
ease downtown congestion and
to bring more shoppers into the
central business area.
After meeting with Gen. Prem
tiss and e. Cleveland Giddings,
Capital Transit Co. vice presi-
dent, Horace C. Walker of the
Metropolitan Washington Case
line Dealers Association prom
ised to report In 10 days on total
space available at service sta
tions and space available for
fringe parking.
Two Plans Operated.
He also will report whether
the 1,125 members of his asso-
citation prefer to operate on a
goodwill" basis--letting motor
lists park on their lots and take
buses downtown as in Provi-
dence, r. I.-or on a paying
basis, as in Shreveport. La.
where motorists receive bus
tokens for leaving their cars at
a service station all day for serv-
icing.
The idea was suggested by
Gen. Prentiss, who said he un-
derstood there are 81 service
stations on arterial routes to
downtown Washington.
Gen. Prentiss said later, that
Capital Transit had sent its chief
engineer to Providence and that
he was enthusiastic" about the
plan there. He had estimated
there might be an average of
five parking places for each serv-
ice station, the general said, or
a total of 500 fringe parking
places all over the city.
Special Service Trial.
Earlier, at a meeting in Gen.
PrentisS' Office. leading downtown
merchants and Capital Transit
agreed to try to set up a shop
pers' speciap' program in which
merchants would pay part of
their customers bus and street.
car fares.
The morning shoppers spe-
cial" meeting was attended by
Mr.. Giddings, leading repre-
sentatives of the Washington
Merchants and Manufacturers
Association and officials of the
Central Businessmen's Associa-
ton.
A plan, originated by the mer-
chants and disclosed by The
Star Tuesday, calls FOR mer-
chants to give transit riders bus
tokens with each minimum $1.95
purchase they make N partici-
pating stores between specified
hours, probably 10 am. to 3 pm.
Shopper Tickets.
The idea is that bus and
streetcar operators would pass
out shopper tickets during those
hours, which the merchants
would redeem with tokens. The
merchants would buy the tokens
at regular prices.
The plan. however, was modi-
fed further yesterday by a pro-
posal that Capital Transit also
permit such shoppers to use
transfers several times to ride
in the same direction in the
business area. This would allow
a shopper to get off a bus at
K street, for example, shop there.
then reboard a bus to F street
with the same transfer.
Representatives of the mer-
chant groups said they would
not approach merchants about
participating in the plan until
a firm proposal-agreed on by
Capital Transit-is reached.
Mr.. Giddings said he hoped
to have a definite answer from
his firm within two days.
No further meeting was set,
but presumably Mr.. Giddings
will contact the merchants group
as soon as his firm agrees to a
plan. Such shopper. specials, :"
Mr.. Giddings said, have worked
successfully in numerous other
Cities"