Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-28
Government Aid
On Mass Transit
Prob|en1sU Urged
Highways Cont Do
Whole Job, Experts
Tell Conference
BY FRANCIS p. DOUGLAS
star stan Correspondent

star stan Correspondent
CHICAGO. May 2S.-Trans-
portation and planning experts
meeting here appeared in agree
ment today that not all Of q
community's transportation eggs
should be placed in one basket.
For representatives Of the
mass transit industry at the
National Conference on Co-ordi-
mating Metropolitan Area Trans
portation this seems to mean two
things: Highways cannot do the
whole job. There should be
Federal money to help cities solve
their mass transit problems as
well as to build freeways for
motorists.
DilwOrth Speaks
Mayor Richardson Dilworth Of
Philadelphia gave the speech
which might be described as
keynoting this idea. Speaking
of his city, he said:
I'VE figure that over the next
item years there will have to be
Expended $1.2 billion to furnish
Ius with the kind of arterial
highway system we require. and
we believe this will not carry
more than IS per cent Of the
people in and out Of our city.
In order to take care Of the rs
lper cent who travel by high
speed rail and surface trans
Iportation we have a program
calling for a little less than half
Iof that amount.
when you figure that in cost
per capita Of the persons being
brought in and out Of the city.
you can see how very much
cheaper is a good mass trans
portation system.
Therefore, If the Federal
Government is to get proper
value for the enormous sums 1t
lis going to spend on our high
ways, it is essential. 1t seems to
Ime. that the Federal Govern
Iment should also help the urban
communities solve their mass
Transportation problems. for it
lis perfectly plain that the urban
communities cannot finance
this by themselves"
Soon Became Obsolete
Representative Maitland. Re-
publican Of California, told a
luncheon meeting today that
when he was secretary to Earl
Warren when the Chief Justice
was Governor of California. he
saw the freeways Of the State
become obsolete before compile
ton.
81 have been increasingly du-
bious as to whether enabling
large numbers Of private motor
vehicles to move into metropoli-
tan areas can ever be the final
solution to the strangulation
problem with which we are 50
familiar" he added.
Mr.. Maitland has introduced q
resolution in the House calling
for an investigation Of large
urban areas mast transportation
problems. One Of the aims Is
to determine whether Federal
funds are necessary to help
solve them.
Movement 10 Suburbia
Pyke johnson Of Washington
former president of the Auto
motive Safety Foundation anc
a member Of the board of ex-
perts Of the Washington area,
mass transportation survey. gave
the views Of those dedicated u
the rubber-and-concrete methoC
Of transportation. He observed
that along with the explosive
movement to suburbia" has come
a new freedom. with the indi.
vidual choosing the motor cal
over mass transportation as par
of the modern way Of living.
This does not. he added. sug.
gest the destruction of oul
downtown area. but only tina
facilities for safe and expedi'
tious automobile travel anC
storage of cars within the down.
town area have not yet beer
given a full test.
He maintained, however, thai
III subsidies are necessary to have
mass transportation. the subsi.
dies should come from genera
taxation and not from money
specifically provided for othel
purposes. This meant, no doubt
money earmarked for highways
George Alpert, president Of tn,
New York. New Haven g. Hart
ford Railroad, bluntly asked fol
subsidies. He said railroad com
muter service is essential bu
that 1t Is necessarily a deflci
operation" Since 1t cannot b
carried on at a profit it is, there
fore, a public service, and en-
titled to a subsidy. he added.
Coordination Stressed
Donald c. Hyde, general man
ager Of the Cleveland transi
system and also one Of tn
Washington area mass transpor,
tation surveys board of experts
stressed the necessity Of co-ordi
mating planning for all types o
transportation. His position wa
that a community has to pa.
for the transportation 1t gets
Edward Dana Of Boston
metropolitan transit system sal,
mass transit has been allowe'
to "wither on the vine." Tn
reason. he explained. is the pub
lies zeal to provide facilities 70
private automobiles carrying
fewer than two persons per auto
Joseph A. Bailey of Phila
delphia's urban transportation
and traffic board pointed out tina
in off-peak hours transit IA
cilities lie idle. with the privat,
automobile providing most o
the travel in those periods.
Walter H. Butcher. presiden
Iof the American Institute o