Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-06

uiC. "iCAA ~ uOco, Ills Car pOOl
lis flexible enough that one of
the others can drive.
Their daughter uses the school
bus to get to the junior high
school at the edge Of Greenbelt.
But when she starts going
to the University of Maryland"
Mr.. Kern said, "the situation
will be different.
"She could take the shuttle
bus. but that goes only to
Branchville. We may need two
cars then"
3-Way Planning Needed
Mr.. Kern's situation is part of
a traffic problem that is unique
to Washington. 1t is unique in
serveral ways.
First, three major governments
are involved-the Federal Gov
vernment for the District and
the State governments of Vir-
ginia and Maryland. After them
come the county and municipal
governments. 1t does little good
for the District to spend millions
on traffic systems if the nearby
areas cannot keep pace.
Second, the highways, on al
minor scale at least, need to be
planned with the needs of the
Federal Government in mind
Easy access between agencies isl
often important. In this respect
the planners find themselves
stymied because the = FEDERAL
Government isn't sure itself
about its future building pro-
gram.
Third. the highway planners
have just recently awakened toI
the fact that 10 years ago their
planning made a mblehill out of
a mountain. Their estimates
were far too conservative. and
they find themselves with a lot
VI Catching up 70 DO.
There is no official area con-
troll for traffic. The planners cam
agree that certain roads are
needed. but unless the various
governments agree-and the
funds are available-the best
plans go for naught.
Influx Of 100000 Cars
But officials admit that it isl
slow work to find points of agree
ment on all problems of the
various government agencies in
volved.
The traffic experts would have
scoffed 10 years ago at estimates
that 100000 automobiles would
come into the District each week
day in 1857. That is today's con-
sentative estimate by the Depart
ment Of Vehicles and Traffic.
Since 1850. auto registrations
for the metropolitan area have
gone up from an estimated 49,
400 to $4,000. with l55,l70 Of
the increase in the suburbs.
These, too. are conservative fig
ures.
Some Of the 100000 who cross
the District line from outside
each day come on business in
the areas close to the District
line. Some are workers bound
downtown, but who park out Of
the central area and use public
transportation the rest Of the
way.
Many Of the others are headed
for the downtown business area,
roughly between Second and
Twenty-third streets NV. and
between Constitution and Mas
sachusetts avenue. They compete
for 37.l22 offstreet parking
spaces in public, private and
government lots, and 6,803 legal
curb spaces in that section.
Criss-CrOss Traffic Heavy
Criss-cross traffic in the
suburban areas is heavy, too. In
all Of Virginia, the two counties
with the highest rate Of travel
on existing roads are Arlington
and Fairfax respectively, the
two closest to the District. And
the roadway carrying Virginia's
heaviest traffic is Shirley high
way from Glebe road to the
Pentagon-almost $4,000 cars
a day. Il
Traffic from farther points
also adds its weight. Between
Washington and Baltimore, for
example. traffic has doubled in
10 years.
How does all this effect the
suburbanite who drives down.
town TO work? The American
Automobile Association had part
OF the answer in its survey three
months ago Of travel time from
various points IS miles from the
center Of town.