Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-05
Widenings Seen
As Alternative
To Big Route
BY ANNE CHRISTMAS
Star Staff Writer


rapid transit.
These were the alternatives
proposed to Montgomery
County planners yesterday by
William F. Adams, highway
engineer for its planning staff,
as part of preparations for q.
new Bethesda master plan to
be presented to the board by
January l, 1864. ,
Mr.. Adams said the expan,
sionS Of Bethesda roads, with
county money, would accommo-
date only 5000 vehicles per
hour at peak rush hours, in
contrast to $500 vehicles which
could use corridors.
Residences Involved
when we are talking about
improving local streets without
building a corridor, it means
funneling traffic through such
excellent residential areas as
Edgemoor," Mr.. Adams said.
Under the $14 million pro-
posal to widen existing streets,
Wisconsin avenue would be
widened from Pook'S Hill, where
the dual highway now ends,
to the southern border Of the
Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Traffic headed into WASH
ington would be sent southwark
via Glenbrook road.
Matching 1t for northbound
traffic would be Pearl street
east of Wisconsin avenue.
Leland street, now a by-way
through a residential area of
Chevy Chase, also would be
widened to accommodate traffic
between Wisconsin avenue and
East West highway.
Wisconsin avenue would be
widened to provide a wider
major artery, but the project
would not be eligible for Fed
eral funds.
: Exclusive Area
The exclusive Edgemoor
subdivision would be involved
by the use of Glenbrook road
from q point Just south Of the
National Institute of Health to
Little Falls Branch Parkway.
Pearl street east CT Wisconsin
avenue would be revamped
from Jones Bridge road, east of
the Bethesda Naval Hospital,
|, to the District line, Mr.. Adams
1 said.
Another residential section
a OF Chevy Chase would en-
counter heavy traffic from the
proposed widening of Leland
!, street from Wisconsin avenue
to East-West highway, Mr..
Adams said.
His remarks we're made in
reply to a request by the
) Maryland National Capital
, Planning Commission for two
: plans for Bethesda, one includ-
ing a corridor and the other
providing only for the expan-
: sion of existing roads.
; $4,000 Cars by 1880
He estimated that Wisconsin
avenue, now handling $4,000
vehicles a day, would be used
by $1,000 cars a day by 1880.
Local streets, he added, "just
won't be able to handle that
kind Of traffic"
Mr.. Adams was asked by
members of the planning board
II the new Capital beltway
now partially completed, would
ease the traffic situation in
Bethesda. He answered that
the beltway will be loaded with
10000 automobiles a day by
1880, and hence will not offer
much relief for Bethesda
roads.
In other business, the plan
ners denied an application by
developer Carl M. Freeman for
high rise apartments at the
northwest corner of Georgia
avenue and Forest Glen road.
Silver Spring.
The applicant requested Ia
story apartments containing
1,O40 units, which Attorney
John w. Neumann said would
occupy only 7.6 per cent of the
~ acre tract in question.
Adjoining property owners
protested on the grounds that
heavy traffic will result from a
large apartment complex in
their residential neighborhood.
AT a subsequent meeting of
the Maryland-National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Com
sion, new master plan for
Takoma Park and Langley
Park, already much-discussed
because of its proposal to re-
Vamp East-West highway, was
adopted.
1lS Building Affected
Improvements to East West
Highway, also known as Route
40, will require land on which
lib buildings are now located.
The realignment Of the cross
county route, which includes
Ethan Allen and Philadelphia
avenues, is designed to remove
a serious bottleneck at Carroll
avenue. AS a result of yester-
days approval Of the master
plan, the commission now is
authorized to begin acquiring
rights-of-way for the dual
highway.
In other business, planners