Evening star., 1954-10-24
Carer Barron
FringeParking.
Plan Opposed
Amphitheoter Lot
For Use of Autoists
Rejected by CTC

Use of the Carter Barron Am
phitheaters facilities as a fringe
parking lot is being opposed by
the Capital Transit Co., Brig.
Gen. Louis w. Prentiss. District
Engineer Commissioner. dis
closed last night.
Speaking over Commission
er's Report" on Radio Station
WWDC. he said, Capital Tran
sit feels Carter Barron is of the
beaten track and difficult to
attract people to. They also feel
it's a little far out"
The amphitheater's parking
lot, in Rock Greek Park of Col
orado avenue near Sixteenth
street NV, is already paved and
lighted.
Planned as Second Lot.
Until Capital Transit raised its
objections. it was planned as the
city's second fringe parking lot.
The first. at South Capitol
street and Firth Sterling avenue
Sc. was opened September Is,
with Capital Transit providing
a month of free bus service to
the downtown area to get it
started
Quick opening Of the Carter
Barron lot as a fringe parking
site was urged repeatedly Thurs
day at a public hearing before
the District Commissioners on
the city's parking problems.
OF the Carter Barron lot. Gen.
Prentiss said lack of Capital
Transit cooperation in estab-
fishing special buslines-as it
did at the South Capitol street
lot-would not necessarily pre-
vent use of the site for fringe
parking.
Many Park in Area.
"People could" he said, walk
up to Sixteenth and catch a bus,
but I don't think that's a partic-
ular inducement, although some
people are parking as much as a
couple of blocks away in the area
and walking to the busline."
He said patronage at the South
Capitol street lot fell off sharply
when Capital Transit started
charging it's regular fares on Oc-
tober Is, but declared he is not
discouraged with the experience
of the lot. ...
II think we haven't yet given
1t a full chance" he said. Gen.
Prentiss warned, though, that
we're going to have to have
more patronage Con the Capital
Transit buses) if the company
is to continue its II special
trips"
At the moment, he said, "I
guess they're not getting enough
passengers to break even."
Odd Change on Friday.
Last Fridays experience. how
ever, produced an odd change
in the South Capitol street lots
history. For the first time pa
tronage on Friday was the same
as on Thursday - 176 cars
parked there each day.
There was an increase. how
ever, of nine transit passengers
"a rise from 285 on Thursday
to 294 on Friday.
On another aspect of the
parking problem. Gen. Prentiss
indicated he might act tomor-
row on a request by Capital
Transit Co. to wipe out 1870
parking spaces along F, G and
Seventh streets NV. He said
he will talk then with George
E. Keneipp, director of traffic,
about the latter's recommended
tionS on the issue.
Calls for Information.
The Commissioner indicated
he wants still more specific in
formation, however, on delays to
street cars which Capital Tran
sit says are caused by trucks
and double parking along its
lines in the area.
Commenting on a report from
the company Friday which said
parking Interruptions caused an
average delay of 83 seconds in
13 streetcar trips on October 5.
he said he still wants the Ii
cense number of any trucks
causing actual DELAYS.