Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-21

on the proposed freeway
along the Potomac Palisades
was distressing. Not because
Of the proposal, which was to
be expected, and on whose
idiocy you commented elo-
quently some weeks ago and
again on November IA. The
distressing note was the ref
erence to q survey to justify
the freeway proposal. Not
another survey Not at the
taxpayers expensel Why not
dust off the study" made In
1857 at a cost Of $80,0002 It's
competence was quite in
keeping with that of the pro-
posal at that time. Why a
boondoggle to justify a boom
doggle?
How much will 1t cost to
prove that the shortest line
between two points is q long
meander between one of
them and a third point? Or
that the logical place to build
a freeway is where there is
little traffic and adequate
capacity rather than where
there is much traffic and in
adequate capacity2 Or that
you should build an express
way Q stones throw from a
planned parkway, rather
than where q parkway isn't
planned2
The reason the proposed
freeway doesn't make sense,
however, is that 1t would OBJ
tain a mere $10.2 millions
from the Federal Govern
ment. This is ridiculous.
Twice as much could be ex-
tracted by building the route
where 8 or 10 lanes could be
justified with some CREDIBLE
ty, and where lots of nice
houses could be razed and ex-
pensive land acquired. Why
sell Maryland short when
plenty Of 80 per cent Federal
money is available to subsi-
die automobile committing
within cities and cement the
alliance between the con-
struction industry and local
politics?
From its assertions on 1880
population and traffic in
northwest Montgomer cry
County, it is apparent that
the Montgomery Planning
Board has discovered meth
DDS of population prediction
for small areas vastly supe-
rior to any now known to de-
mographers. What Is not evi-
dent is whether their predic-
tons are valid In the absence
Of q freeway, or assume that
it Is built. It makes quite a
difference. Are their inten-
tons to provide concrete for
existing human and automo-
tive population, or to alter
the population pattern itself?
Chas. T. Stewart, Jr.
Bravo for your supremely
logical editorial in opposition
to the recently propo d
"p aving Of the Palisades, E"
the hastily conceived pro-
posal to build another free
way on the Maryland side of
the Potomac before the first
is well under way.
Even If there were a need
shown for more lanes to
serve northwest Montgomery
County in the future,
wouldn't 1t make q lot more
sense and be considerably
cheaper to add two more
lanes to the George Wash
tngton M morial parkway
than put a whole new free
way through
James d. Cope.
The announcements of ].
Newton Brewer, IT., chair
man Of the Montgomery
County Planning Board, and
the report of the boards
staff confound all reason.
We are now informed that
the Silver Spring North Cap
itol Street corridor is to be
the principal route for Inter-
state 70-S, and that the Po-
tomac River Palisades route
is only intended as a second
link with downtown via a
connection with the Potomac
River Freeway in the District
of Columbia.
However, no sensible ex-
PLANTATION has been furnished
as to why the almost-com-
pleted George Washington
Memorial Parkway, a four
lane limited access divided