Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-09-05
Nothing Moqic'

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The arguments in favor of the
Three Sisters Bridge across the Potomac
are so compelling that it is surprising
that any doubt remains as to whether
Congress will clear construction funds
this year. In the House, requests that
the bridge be killed, or at least delayed,
were denied after full consideration of
the facts. The Senate District Appro-
priationS Subcommittee, in its current
deliberations on the city budget, should
sustain that decision.
1t is commended that proposals for a
regional rail transit system, to be made
in November by the National Capital
Transportation Agency, might render
the bridge unnecessary. District Off
Gals, however, in examining the same
new traffic projections which the Meta
will use as basis for its recommends
tons, can find no justification for such
a belief. They are convinced that an
additional bridge will be required re-
CARELESS Of the transit proposals, and
that there Is no more suitable location
for handling the tremendous traffic
increases which converge on the Poto-
mac every year. The new bridge, In
large measure, is needed to receive sub
stantial amounts Of traffic from new
Route So, including, under present plans,
all Of the truck traffic using that inter-
state route.
Nor is 1t true, as some freeway OBJ
ponents claim, that a temporary" delay
would be Of no consequence. If there
is uncertainty as to the Three Sisters
Bridge, District planning of the Poto-
mac River ExpresSway could not pro-
coed. Moreover, ON the Virginia side of
the river, State highway officials
would be held up on their final designs
Of Route So. Even more important, in
the long run, is the disruption that
would occur in the orderly construction
Of the freeway program throughout the
Washington area. For we are convinced
that both freeways and transit are
needed, and that as far as the future
is concerned the danger Is more in un-
dereStimattng than in overestimating
the capacity Of either Of them.
State Senator Charles r. Fenwick,
those who urged Congress to develop
a rapid transit system through the
Meta. He is accurate, however, when
he now says that there is nothing
magic In the fact that q mass trans
portation plan viii be submitted to Con-
gresS in November" His concern, and
rightly so, is that the congested 176
miles Of primary roads in Arlington and
Fairfax Counties already carry, about
the same daily volume Of traffic as the
946 miles Of roads In the other II coun-
ties comprising the Northern Virginia
highway district. AS Senator Fenwick
puts it.:
If we wait for 1t (mass transit) to become
reality, and build no highways or bridges,
our traffic situation will become intolerable
With the tremendous increase In popu-
lation anticipated in Fairfax County 100000
by 1900, the tremendous number Of sub
divisions being built in Fairfax and Prince
William Counties, and the development of
the Dulles International Airport the most
we can hope from q mass transportation
system is that enough people will use 1t so
that. with additional freeways and bridges,
we can meet the demands Of increased popu-
lation.
Unfortunately, key portions of the
Washington freeway system already
have been delayed, partially as the re-
suit of disagreement between the Com
missioners. The city heads are unani-
nous, however, in their belief that the
Three Sisters project should proceed
with all due speed. It will be in the
best interests Of the Washington area
for Congress to take the actions nee
essary to assure this goal before ad-
journment.