Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-21
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Freewoys, 'BoondoggIes, Etc.

highway running along the
Maryland side of the Poto-
mac directly beside the Pail
sades and aimed to connect
with the planned Potomac
River Freeway, will not more
than adequately serve as an
alternate approach to down.
town. In fact, the board
seems almost to have over
looked the very existence of
the Memorial Parkway.
Some support for the Pail
sades route has apparently
been generated on the
ground that it would enable
the Potomac River Freway
to be built from interstate
highway appropriations
rather than park appropria-
tons. However, either way,
about the same amount of
Federal funds will be re-
quired. The only difference is
that for the dubious privilege
Of paying for the freeway in
the District Of Columbia out
of one of its pockets rather
than another, the Federal
Governm e n t will have to
bear 30 per cent Of the cost
of q wholly unnecessary and
wastefully duplicating super
highway in Maryland.
Furthermore, at some
point in or near Georgetown
there will be channeled onto
the Potomac River Freeway
a tremendous flow Of traffic
from Virginia which will
combine with Me m orial
Parkway traffic from Mary
land. Routing alternate 70-S
as well as the M e m orial
Parkway into the Potomac
River Freeway would only
further intensity the min
Cling of Maryland and Vir-
ginia traffic.
At this stage the board ap-
pears remorselessly dedicated
to its proposal. but hopefully
the Maryland State Roads
Commission, working in con-
junction with the United
States Bureau of Public
Roads and the District of
Columbia Highway Depart
ment, will take a more realis-
tic approach and will not
agree to this costly and
essentially useless highway
on the Palisades.
David M. OsnOs.
Pave the Palisades" was a
gem. How ridiculous can the
Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commits
sioners get? How can they
seriously propose to spend $11
million for a super-freeway
to run right alongside the
George Washington Memo
rial Parkway which Is now
being built and will be more
than adequate to carry the
traffic predicted as far ahead
as 1880?
Perhaps an explanation is
to be found in the reminder
in the Commissioners report
that inclusion of this free
way in the interstate pro-
gram will, of course, mean
that 80 percent of the funds
needed for land acquisition
and construction would be
provided by the Federal Gov
eminent. -"
If that Is the way local Of
ficials plan when 80 per cent
Federal money Is available,
I suggest you write another
editorial, "Congressi o n a
Committees, Attent / o n
Pleased"
Phillip ThOrsOn
The Stars editorial Of No
vember Is, "Forwar
March" must be well re-
ceived by all residents of the
Metropolitan Area.
The Presidential Policy
Advisory Committees recon-
m endations that plans
should go forward certainly
Is the right note to ensure
progress. However, the alb
breviated downtown subway
system is probably not the
best engineering decision or
the most economical solution
to this problem. The original
plan as proposed by Meta
for the downtown area is the
one which should be adopted
In order to cut initial appro-
priations, the Whitener Com
mittee proposes to cut off
some of the tentacleS of this
plan. This is perfectly feasible
an@ nm