Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-08
White House Prods
For Transit Action
Bills Managers
Seek Strategy
For Passage
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star staff Writer

6tar 6JRII Wrlter
Prodded by the White House,
managers of Washington area
transit legislation are confer
ring on strategy for steering
the administration bill through
Congress.
Senator Bible, chairman Of
the District Committee, is re-
ceptive to the idea Of pairing
the proposed authorization
from an $500 million system
to its central 5000 million
downtown subway.
Chairman Whitener of the
House District Subcommittee
has asked Senator Bible to
start hearings. Mr.. Whitener
conducted House hearings. The
Congressman now is looking
for a middle ground. 1t may be
found by comparing Senate
testimony to come with his
own subcommittee record, he
told the Senator.
| Presidential Assistant Charles
Horsky has talked with both
Senator Bible and Representa-
tive Whitener, urging action.
See Major Problems
Senator Bible and Mr.. Whit
ener want to comply. But they
see two major problems in con-
vincing Congress to permit the
National Capital Transporta-
ton Agency to develop rapid
rail and subway system.
The unusually large cost
contemplated by the local au-
thorization is one obstacle.
The other is opposition to the
transit authorization from
road builders and users, who
resent a freeze on two free
ways and a bridge which was
asked by President Kennedy
in conjunction with the transit
program.
The President would with
hold further funding for the
North Leg freeway, the Three
Sisters bridge and a Potomac
river freeWay, pending transit
decisions. The North Leg and
Three Sisters Bridge are being
re-eXamined by a special COM
mittee due to report to the
District Commissioners by No
vember. Mr.. Horsky was in
strumental in setting up this
study committee.
The presidential assistant
has joined Mr.. Whitener in
: seeking Senate hearing, before
the committee reports.
: Role Of Arbiters
=, But Senator Bible is reluctant
= to cast his committeeman in
the role of arbiters Of disputes
: unresolved in the House Com
, mittee, at the White House and
bet tween the Transportation
! Agency and private transporta-
ton interests.
He repeatedly would proceed
if he could be shown one
. substantial agreement on the
transit versus highway con-
troverSy or costs. That appar-
emily is why he would at least
think about a partial, rather
than blanket, authorization.
Mr.. Whitener has not con-
sidered this approach seriously,
but does not bar it.
A House Subcommittee report
on the transit bill would be the
kind of positive position Sen
ator Bible is seeking in the
freeway controversy. Another
might be a report from the re-
evaluation committee on the
North Leg freeway and Three
Sisters bridge.
The Senator is cycling the
re-evaluation as a possible
trigger to Senate action. But
District Commissioners pre-
sently aren't planning to digest
committee findings until De-
cember, too late for congress
sional action on transit this
session.
Separation Urged
Both the Senator and Mr..
Whitener have been asked to
separate the transit and free
way questions. This strategy
apparently was one White
House idea. Politicians at the
Capitol don't believe the two
issues could stay separated be-
yond one day Of hearings, no
matter how carefully a theo-
retical division were planned.
Asked if he thought a COM
mittee decision on the bridge
and freeway would speed &C
ton, Mr.. Whitener said. II
think it might be very helpful
If the ad hoe committee made
its recommendation. It would
deflate the highway transit
fight, which is an exaggerated
controversy in that we need
both rail- and highway sys-
TENS"
1t was understood at the
Capitol that the study COM
mittee is likely TO favor con-
struction Of a bridge closer to
Key bridge than are the Three
Sisters Islands, at the base Of
.Glover-Archbold park.