Evening star., 1961-01-02
PIanner Questions.
Streetcars' Future
Keith Foresees
No Obvious Role
In Rapid Transit
BY GILBERT GIMBLE
Star stan Writer

Dy OALDEnI UANADLE
Star stan Writer "s
A top planner for the new
National Capital Transporta.
ton Agency says the city's re-
streetcar tracks will
almost certainly" not be
needed for future rapid transit.
Robert A. Keith, chief Of the
engineering program,
said he believes "it will be diff
f1cult to find any reason to op-
crate streetcars on the present
tracks" in development Of an
overall mass transportation
system.
The transit agency, author
lied to plan and develop a mass
transportation system for the
Washington Metropolitan Area,
will embark in the next few
weeks on a full-scale study Of
existing railroad and streetcar
facilities and how they might
be used for rapid transit.
But Of all the rail facilities
now available, Mr.. Keith said,
the streetcar tracks offer the
fewest possibilities for any
general use.
Shuttle Use Seen
However, Mr.. Keith made it
plain he was not completely
ruling out streetcars and the
present tracks at this early
point in the agency's studies.
One possibility, he said. Is
use of a straight track stretch
such as a portion of the Four
teenth street line to serve as
a shuttle between subways.
D. c. Transit System is anx-
ious to go ahead with its plan
to convert to an all-bus opera
ton in January, 1862.
Transit company officials
told the District Public Utilities
Commission on Friday that if
complete conversion is not per-
mitted, the cost of keeping the
remaining tracks in operating
condition will cost about $2.7
million.
May Postpone Conversion
Members of the P. U. C. have
indicated that the 1862 conver-
sion date may have to be post
poned pending completion Of
the transportation agency's
survey.
Congress called a halt to
any further abandonment of
streetear tracks in the law es-
tablishing the new transit
planning agency. The purpose
of the provision Is to be certain
that streetcar facilities will be
available should the agency
determine the tracks will be
needed as part of the new mass
transit system.
Mr.. Keith said there is some
chance the agency will recon-
mend that the streetcar CONVEX
sion program be delayed beyond
next January.
One certainty, the transit
planning aide said, is that there
will have to be some kind Of
special downtown transit sys-
tenn" developed to serve the
heart of the commercial area.
System Undecided
1T will be something much
different from anything we
have today but it is not yet
clear whether it will be a fixed
rail system or if it will require
rubber-tired vehicles" -
He said leaders of the Ma
tional Capital Downtown Com.
mittee. studying ways to re-
vitalize the commercial center,
have discussed the special
transit system and feel its de-
velopment is essential.
| Various aspects of the use of
rail facilities will be covered by
the upcoming agency study,
Mr.. Keith said.
He suggested that among the
possible moves would be i'm.
provement of present subur-
ban commuter lines operated
by the railroads and placing
new tracks for operation of
rapid transit that would not
conflict with regular railroad
passenger and freight trains.
There will be little we can
do with railroad facilities un-
less some kind of downtown
subway system is set up," Mr..
Keith said.
Planners do not feel, he add.
ed. that the big volume of COM
muter riders enviSioned with
an improved rail system could
be efficiently distributed by
buses to their final destination
points in town.
One move, Mr.. Keith said,
may be to improve railroad
commuter service as a tempo
rary measure with gradual ex-
pansion-over 10 to Is years
of the subway system.
! At any rate, he said, the rail
study will be crucial step in
the transportation agency's S
survey. Until we make the
major decisions concerning use
of rail facilities, we can make
only limited decisions on the
overall mass transit system, "
h. eo;I