Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-01
.C.Transport Plan
Baked byKennedy
Report Hidden
On Key Projects.
hatcher Says
BY LEE FLOR
Star STAFF Writer

President Kennedy overruled
the District Commissioners
when he delivered his trans
.portation message to Congress
last Monday.
The final transportation
analysis by the Commissioners,
dated April 8, 1868, and ad-
dressed to the White House,
shows that the Commissioners
still wanted to build the Three
Sisters Bridge and the Poto-
mac River freeway.
They told the President they
would indorse a downtown sub
way, half the proposed rail-
transit lines and more study
of express bus routes.
The final analysis was made
public yesterday by an indig-
nant Representative hatcher,
Democrat of Kentucky and
chairman of the House Appro-
priations Subcommittee on the
District.
Mr.. hatcher said lie hadn't
realized until yesterday that
the Federal Bureau of the
Budget was keeping the Com
missioners' final analysis Sc
cret. If he had known, he would
have made the report public in
April, he said.
Two Items Withheld
The President has asked that
two budget items totaling $1.4
million for the bridge and the
freeway be withheld from the
Districts 1864 budget, pending
more study of a connecting
freeway link. Mr.. hatcher earli-
er said his subcommittee would
give careful consideration to
the rival rail and transit pro-
posals, and indicated the high
way budget items might be re-
stored.
In their analysis, the Com
missioners accused the Nation
al Capital Transportation
Agency of withholding vital in
formation necessary to a renew
al of the rail proposals.
The Board of Commissioners
$. is concerned that certain
studies used by the trans
portation agency have not
been made available" the Com
missioners told President Ken
needy.
The report shows that the
Commissioners delay in turn
ing in their final analysis was
used TO further refine earlier
protests.
A new section was added.
showing the decline in use of
Subways and rail transit in
New York City. In 1910, a popu-
lation of 81 million people took
l,843 million rapid transit trips;
in 1860, a population of IO.7
million people took only 1874
million trips the report says.
Others Drops Cited
Residents of New York City
took an average Of 2l2 rapid
transit trips during 1910; by
1860, the figure had dropped to
l26, according to the report. No
explanation was given for the
drop.
Transit riding per person de-
clined 40.6 per cent in New
York City, 1871 per cent in Chi
cago, and 4l.2 per cent In Phil
adelphia over 20 years, the re-
port states.
Because the transportation
agency did not cooperate with
Washington area highway
agencies, the area may not
qualify for 80 per cent MATCH
ing grants under the Interstate
highway financing program, the
final report says.
The transportation agency's
1862 proposal for a rail tram
sit system, while costing 40 per
cent more than a rail system
recommended in 1859, will car
ry only the same number of
passengers, the report declares.
1880 Trips Estimated
The transit system, proposed
for 1880, will carry only lit, 900
more passenger trips than the
bus and streetcar system in
1906, while the number Of trips
on highways will increase BY
20 million, the report states.
Service to present bus riders
may be severely hurt because
the number Of bus stops may
change, the report indicates.
The proposed 9s-mile rail tran
SIT system would have only 30
stations In the District, while
D. c. Transit now has more
than 5000 stops in the District,
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