Montgomery County sentinel., 1962-01-25
Bethesda May Get Relief
From Traffic Bottlenecks
Special Study Shows
Traffic Conditions
Could Get Worse

wv w VI On
Faced with a report that
some parts of Bethesda have
traffic volume headaches
which will get worse when
major new arterial routes
begin serving the area, the
County Council this week
asked its staff to look into
some solutions recommended
by a firm of urban transpor-
tation consultants.
The Councils action was TAX.
en- after Public Works Director
Joseph c. Kordella briefed them
on traffic study of Bethesda
just completed by the Wash
ington firm of Alan NJ Voor-
hees and Associates. Inc. which
included recommendations for:
. Extension of Arlington rd.
to the Little Falls Parkway as
soon as possible to provide an
other north.south route through
Bethesda.
Q Establishment of traffic
control measures TO divert traf-
fic from Glenbrook rd. between
Bradley blvd. and Old George
town rd., since the Glenbrook
rd. extension is not recommends
ed for an early start.
. Improvement of Wilson la.
ito provide more effective flow
of east.west traffic" and its ex-
tension to the George Washing
ton Memorial Parkway when
this Is completed.
. Improvement of Battery la.
between Old Georgetown rd. and
Wisconsin ave.
. Evaluation of the need for
extension of Woodmont ave.
and Huntington pkwy., as well
as improvements of Glenbrook
rd. north OF Old Georgetown
rd., only after plans are COM
pleted for the proposed Wiscon-
Gin ave eorfidor
Plans for the corridor have
been frozen by District offic-
ials. If it is not built, the con-
sultants said, a study should be
made of how to provide another
major north-south artery.
The experts predicted an SO
per cent growth in Bethesda
traffic volumes by 1880 over
1855, due to population growth
In the residential area to the
north and west, as well as EN-.
ployment at the National In
stitutes Of Health and develop
ment of the central business
district.
NH, with total employment
of 5000 now, is expected to
grow to 1900 by 1880 the re-
port said. Residential and bust.
ness development will keep
pace, with the peak growth ex-
pected in the late 1905, it
added.
Some parts of the Bethesda
area have reached traffic sat.
uration point" the report said.
This is particularly true along
Wisconsin ave. As a result of
this saturation, some traffic
now filters through the adjoin-
ing residential areas"
The consultants said the BE.
thesda area will soon exper-
ience radical changes in its
traffic patterns when the Capt
tai Beltway, GeOi @ Washing
ton Memorial Parkway and In.
terstate 70.S start serving it,
Meantime, they added. Bethes-
da will be developing into a
major commercial and business
center.
The Council asked Kordella
and his staff to consult with the
Park and Planning Commission
and other interested groups on
the consultants' reports and to
make their own recommends
tions later
IN other actions, the county
heads:
Authorized president David
J.. Cahoon 70 apply for changes
in the zoDing code establishing
regulations on apartment no.
tells fallout shelters, lighted
signs and billbosrds. offstreet
parking spaces and other items.
on which It will hold public
hearing later
Set a hearing for 2 pm.
Tuesday February 20, on an
amendment to the motor vehicle
code which would make ii lille.
gal for motorists to fail TO obey
the directions of uniformed
crossing guards. A fine of 80
days in jail or not more than
500 would be the penalty.
Announced another public
hearing for 2 pm. Tuesday,
February q, on proposed chang.
es in the electrical code govern
ing underwater lighting OF
swimming pools minimum
house power amperage and wiz.
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