Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
District Gets Details
Of Timer Loop Proposal
Continued From First Page

auuwuS9 ~
Continued From First Page
we have the plan. we win begin
Immediately q review Of the A.
nancial prospects, rated against
cost Of the program"
Federal Aid Needed
Key feature Of the financial
analysis undoubtedly will be the
amount of Federal highway aid
the District can expect. If Con-
gress next year enacts an aid
bill along lines Of the ambitious
proposals advanced in the last
session. for example, city officials
would have money in sight for
the entire loop system. II the
highway aid efforts mop, pros
poets won't be bright. But the city
may still consider other revenue
sources, such as borrowing or
higher gas taxes, for more
delayed construction.
Following instructions, the De
Leuw, Gather report fatty ig-
nored the financing problem.
declaring:
1.-THE present budget is not
adequate for Q project of this
magnitude and 1t Is evident that
If the inner loop Is to be COM
pleted In the foreseeable future
additional funds must be made
available.
eve estimate that, without
considering the financial prob
lem the entire system could
be completed in from IL to is
years"
Meets Needs of 1880
The consultantS' job was TO
design a system capable of meet
ing traffic needs estimated for
1880. Blu that date. officials be-
lieve population growth and
increased auto use swill have
reached the "saturation point"
as far as traffic is concerned.
In other words. they reason,
Washington by 1880 viii be re-
ceiving as many cars as its
streets. parking lots and other
facilities can handle. If that's
the case-whatever other steps
might be taken-a bigger free
way loop system wouldn't help.
The loop is designed to serve
two functions.
One is to let motorists bypass
the congested downtown without
entering ID The other is to per-
NIT motorists heading for down.
town destinations to. enter the
loop at any point and zoom
around 1t to the nearest and most
convenient street to each desti-
nation.
or Little Use to Buses
In highlights of the report. the
consultants:
l. Failed to make any provi-
sion for rapid transit as part OF
the road system. They said. in
fact, that except for possible
rush-hour express runs. buses
would have little use on the loop.
Their main reason was that most
bus routes head for downtown
employment and shopping CEN
tiers on north south streets which
cross the loop freeway at right
angles.
2. Recommended against park
ing facilities either on the loop
or Immediately adjoining 1t.
They commended that garages
near the loop would be prohibits
lively expensive, and would
cause massive traffic tie-ups on
the freeway itself.
3. Proposed nine specific con-
struction stages for the loop,
rated on their estimate Of most
urgent need.
4. Suggested ian interim sys-
tenn" Of one-way streets. located
near the loop route. which mo-
florists could use during the long
years of loop construction. AS
each new section Of the freeway
was completed, 1t would tie into
the one-way system still serving
the uncompleted sections.
5. Also suggested dozens of
other permanent one-way street
combinations within the loop to
move traffic faster through the
central business area.
8. Admitted that the loop sys-
tenn is no traffic cure-all, he said
an intermediate loop system,
built further from the center Of
town and to less expensive de-
sign standards, should be con-
sidered later.
Highest Possible Standards
The consultants noted that an
original 1914 loop proposal called
for only surface, one-way street
Improvements. They said the
tremendous traffic increase Of the
last 10 years and the spiral ex-
pected during the next Is would
make such a system of "only
momentary significance"
Therefore, they explained. they
designed the freeway to the
highest possible standards"
The report predicted a Wash
ington area population Of IL
million by 1880, with 100000 Of
1t within the District. 1t esti-
mated there will be 1913 pas
senger cars per 1000 population
by 1880. against 1853 per 1000
last year.
An estimated $4,000 daily
trips were predicted on the loop
by 1880. representing Is million
vehicle miles. This the consult
ants said, would save motorists
10 million minutes Of driving
time a day on the new loop.
Value on Driving Time
1.-THE freeways will be so SUI