Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-17
Route 240 Solution

The plan Tor the place.
ment Of Route 240 proposed
by The Star should have the
unqualified Endorsement of
all Montgomery County citi-
zens. The plan is less expen-
Siye than others proposed and
makes the most sense.
In the view Of many. the
criterion for placement of this
important highway ana ex-
penditure Of large sums Of
Federal funds should not be
the problem Of getting com
muters back and forth TO
work" The purpose Of the
Highway Act was to provide
safe roads for interstate
travel. and the funds should
not be spent for costly high
speed highways through
densely populated areas II
such can be avoided.
II all the gasoline taxes
collected from Montgomery
County commuters had been
spent on decent roads in the
lower part Of the county.
there would be no problem.
We would not have TO rely
on the Federal Government
20 bail us out.
L. L. Nicholson III.
The Stars January 10 edi-
torial, "A Route 240 Solu-
tion." gives six good reasons
for building a parkway along
the Potomac River. II fails to
give a single reason why this
parkway should be built as an
expressway for trucks. Ger
tainly not on the ground Of
costs. The parkway would
cost the District not one red
cent, and would cost the Fed
eral Government far less than
an expreSsway. Certainly not
on the basis Of traffic. The
parkway would carry all the
commuter trafiic and the
interstate passenger trafiic
which the expressway would
accommodate. Certainly not
for the convenience Of trucks.
The Star admits that very
few trucks would use this
route: there is no need for
additional truck routes into
downtown Washington. The
large extra cost Of an express
way would be a total waste Of
public funds.
The most regrettable as
pect Of The Stars proposal
is that it would not prevent
the construction Of an ex-
pressway along the Wiscon-
sin avenue corridor anyway.
J. N. Robertson. District
Highway Department head.
states in the April. 1857. issue
of American Motorist that
an expressway along the Wis
consin corridor will be needed
in any case. The Clarkeson
report. although advocating
the Potomac route for $40.
has to crystal ball all the
way ahead to 1880 to scour
up some 10000 motorists
along this location at the Dis
trict line. No more than IS
900 or 10000 of these 1880
motorists will come from the
Bethesda Chevy Chase area.
and then only on the as
sumption that a shorter.
cheaper and faster express
way will not be built along
the Wisconsin avenue corri-
dor. A Potomac expressway
therefore will not serve com
muter traffic above Key
Bridge. Nor will 1t be the
cheapest. II The Star has in
mind the recommendations Of
either the highway depart
ment or the Clarkeson report,
both calling for a $28 million
bridge at Arizona avenue
which would be ineligible for
a 90 per cent Federal grant.
Why then an expensive and
unnecessary ssway
when a parkway will do just
as well at a fraction OF the
rcst. and at no expense to the
district? Why pay later the
full cost Of a Wisconsin ave-
nue. corridor expressway If
II Is now available with 90
per cent Federal grantp
Charles T. Stewart, Jr.
You are 10 be congratu-
lated on your fortnight edi-
. torial, "A Route $40 Solu-
ton" As a born Washing
tonian. I have hiked and
played as a boy over all the
park lands that could be in
volved In any route for gao.
/ even had a boat on the
canal when II was open TO
navigation. and later as a
resident Of Bethesda I have
driven into town over every
conceivable route downtown.
! cannot for the life Of me
understand the attitude Of
the Park Service. II thou