Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-18
State Warned
On Taking Over
Roads Commission
Doubts U. S. Section
Will Stand Up
By Gene Goodwin
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

ANNAPOLIS. Md. Feb. 18.-
Maryland has adopted a 60
slow attitude toward a proposal
that it take over the Federal
half of the Baltimore Washing
ton expreSsway.
Russell H. Mccain. chairman
of the State Roads Commission,
told the House Ways and Means
Committee here yesterday that
the Federal Government appar-
emily is not building its part of
the road under the same stand
ards the State applied to its 10
mile stretch nearest to Balti-
more.
Mr.. Mccain said he is con-
cerned that the Federal section
will not stand up under truck
traffic.
The Federal Interior Depart
ment suggested. in December.
that Maryland should take over
all of the Baltimore Washington
expressway and the Suitland
parkway, both maintained now
by the National Park Service.
Proposal Under Study.
Since then, the Maryland COM
mission has been studying the
proposition. although it has not
yet received formal proposal
from the Interior Department.
Mr.. Mccain must consider the
impact of truck traffic. because
if the Federal section of the
road between Jessup and the
District line were turned over
to Maryland, trucks would be
allowed on the entire length of
the expressway.
The trucks now are banned
from that part of the Federal
section of the road so far COM
pleted-that's the stretch be-
tween Jessup and the LAUREL
Bowie road. The entire Federal
section is expected to be COM
pleted by october.
Standards Below States
Mr.. Mccain suggested that
since the National Park Service
must prohibit trucks on its roads.
building specifications are not
as rigid as Maryland's.
Mr.. Mccain made his COM
ments in answering questions
raised by Delegate Jerome Rob-
inson. Democrat. Of Baltimore.
After listening to the roads
chairman. Mr.. Robinson de-
clared:
Maybe we'd better put in a
bill or something to tell the Fed
eral Government we don't want
it"
Mr.. Robinson sponsored a bill
in the last session to give the
roads commission authority to
prohibit trucks on the express
way. 1t was defeated under
pressure from residents who live
along the present Baltimore
boulevard. which is now crowded
with trucks.
Those residents. since organ
lied into the Washington -Balti-
more Boulevard Association. have
been working hard to get Mary
land to take over the Federal
section OF the e:;pressWay.
S. Million Loss Feared.
The road commission. on an
other matter. told lawmakers
that postponing an increase in
the license tag fees would cost
the State SIS million next year
and would reduce roads money
for Baltimore and the counties.
There are two bills before the
Legislature to postpone for a
year an increase in the license
fees scheduled for the spring of
1855. The bills are based on
the assumption that the penny
raise in the gasoline tax. which
went into effect last summer. is
bringing in more money than
the commission had anticipated
to finances its 12-year highway
modernization program.
Commission Controller Carl
L. Wannen denied that gasoline
revenues are running that far
ahead Of estimates. Postpone
ment Of the license fee increase,
he said. would cost the State
SIS million. Baltimore City, SIS
million, and the counties, ST
million.