Evening star., 1954-10-22

Of Fringe Parking,
Preniiss Declares
Fate Of the Districts fringe
parking program is up to the
public. Brig. Gen. Louis w. Prem
!. tiss, District Engineer Commis-
sioner, indicated today after q
public hearing brought demands
for opening of additional lots.
Declaring he still intends to
open more lots-in addition to
the Districts first at South Capt.
tol street and Firth Sterling ave.
nue-Gen. Prentiss insisted. I'VE
are going to have to have much
greater acceptance of fringe
parking before fringe parking is
successful"
Several of the IS witnesses at
yesterdays hearing before the
District Commissioners in the
board room of the District Build
ing called for the opening Of
more fringe lots.
Request Amphitheater.
Most frequent request was for
use Of the parking lot at the
Carter Barron sAmphitheater on
Sixteenth street NV, already
paved and lighted for parking.
= Commenting afterward. Gen.
Prentiss insisted he was unable
to say how soon the demand
might be fulfilled. Another he
would like to see opened, he de-
cfared. is on the site Of the old
Industrial Home School at CAL
vert street and Wisconsin ave-
nue. NV.
Before going ahead with
another lot. he said, he was watt
ing on several things, including
yesterdays hearing on the Dis
trict's parking problems gener-
ally.
Other stumbling blocks are
"some things we still have to
work out with the Public Utilities
Commission and the Capital
Transit Co."
Watches Fare Situation.
. Also. he declared, he wanted to
see for at least a week the impact
on parking at the South Capitol
street lot caused by charging bus
fares to the business area. Cap
ital Transit carried fringe park
ers free for the first 30 days, then
began charging regular fares q
week ago today.
Imposition of the charges
caused a drop of almost a third
in average parking at the South
Capitol street lot. and Gen. PREM
tiss warned that 1--WE can MAIN
tain good bus service only if 1t Is
supported" After the lots usual
Wednesday rise in patronage, it
dropped off 81 cars yesterday as
it has on Thursdays throughout
the lots brief history.
Another wait is for a report
from the Treasury Department
on 4,300 questionnaires it sent to
its employees about their prefer
ences in fringe parking lots.
The survey was made after
workers at the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing complained
because all-day parking on the |
Mall was wiped out when the |
South Capitol street lot was |
opened.
los Answers Received.
So far, said Milton M. Rodes,
director of the Motor Vehicle
Parking Agency, los of the
missionaries have been an
swered.
OF these, Mr.. Rodes said, AZ |
they would use the
South Capitol street lot If. there
were an earlier bus. This. he
added. was called to Capital |
Transit's attention Tuesday and |
The company is now considering |
putting on an earlier run.
OF the other replies to the
questionnaire, So said they
would prefer to use a fringe lot
at Soldiers Home and 20 indi- |
Gated they would use Carter |
Barron. Mr.. Rodes said.
Many Proposals Advanced.
Yesterdays hearing on how to |
solve Washington's parking
problems brought forth a wide |
range of ideas-from a proposal |
to. lar private autos from the |
downtown. area during certain |
hours to plans for giant under
ground parking garages to be
built by the District.
The Motor Vehicle Parking
Agency also came in for bitter
criticism on the grounds that it |
Is stacked" with representatives
Of the private parking operators. |
All the complaints and sugges-
tions, Gen. Prentiss said, will be |
analyzed. Then he will discuss
with his fellow Commissioners
The advisability of adopting any
policy changes which appear to
be proper.
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