Evening star., 1959-11-10
TRANSIT
Plan for New Super Highways
Strongly Attacked at Hearing
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
values to the community Of
such q system are 80 tremen-
dous that the city could well
afford to develop such a sys-
tenn. City after city, he added,
has experienced big revenue
gains as the result of increased
land value near subway and
other rapid-transit points.
Sees Railroads Receptive
Mr.. Forsythe said the idea
Of building rapid transit in the
median strips of freeways-as
proposed by the local planners
lis the ideal combination,
and no one is more enthused
about it than highway officials
when they see how it works"
He said he felt the local off,
cials placed too much emphasis
on developing transit at the
end of their transportation
programs, however. instead Of
at the beginning.
He also called for efforts TO
lease or buy rightS-of-
from railroad and said rail-
road officials generally are far
more receptive to this kind of
thing now than they were five
years ago."
Mr.. Ulin said he felt the
local plan was too restrictive in
considering various alternatives
for estimating traffic and tran
sit-riding in the future.
Car Popularity Noted
Senator Bible, Democrat Of
Nevada. the committee chair
man, said it appeared to him as
a daily commuter from Silver
Spring that the desire to use
automobiles Is a matter of "hu-
man behavior" which might be
hard to change. He said he ap-
preciated Mr.. Ulin's criticism.
but asked what specific pro-
posals he had to offer as alter
natives.
Mr.. Ulin said he did not have
any specific figures on how
popular transit might be, but
that he felt there were a num-
ber Of possibilities which should
be considered to enhance trans
it. Among them, he said, might
be rigid parking restrictions
downtown, tolls on freeways or
possibly even banning autos
from central areas.
Chairman David E. Finley Of
the Fine Arts Commission
told the committee the trans
portation plan fails to protect
adequately "the unique char
acter of Washington as the
Nations Capital"
Mr.. Finley also pleaded for
more emphasis on rapid transit
in testimony before the House.
Senate Committee on Wash
ington Metropolitan Problems,
holding week-long hearings on
the ambitious scheme to handle
traffic volumes expected 20
years from now.
Asks Housing Revision
Mr.. Finley said he hoped a
rapid transit system would be
extended to the suburbs to re-
duce numbers of automobiles
entering the city during rush
hours. But more drastic re-
organization of Government
employees and housing within
Washington also is necessary,
he declared.
Mr.. Finley's idea was that
future Government buildings
should be located in various
spots surrounding the central
area. with attractive housing
sites near them, and an under
ground transit system linking
these centerS.
Such a plan would avoid
the necessity of COMPRISING
traffic in the center of the city
and would, we hope. enhance
rather than injure the appear
ance Of Washington" Mr.. Fin
LEY said.
Expressing a hope that new
freeways can be suppressed the
speaker bitterly attacked high
way projects already under way,
Including the huge inner loop
freeway planned to encircle
downtown Washington.
! THE city," he added lis being