CONTENTS (S. 2094, H.R. 11935) To amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965 authorizing the prosecution of a transit development program for the National Capital region and to further the objectives of the act Committee on the District of Columbia, U.S. Senate, staff memoran- Bason, George F., Jr., resident of Columbia Heights, Washington, Chambers, John C., resident manager, Washington Hilton Hotel. Graham, Jackson, general manager, Washington Metropolitan Area Guedalia, Jules A., assistant to the president, Cafritz Co., Washington, Herman, William L., director, Office of Planning, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority-. Howard, Mrs. Ernest W., president, Columbia Heights Citizens Immer, John R., president, District of Columbia Federation of Citizens Kneipp, Robert F., Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel, District of Agencies supporting this legislation: District of Columbia Commissioners_ Loudoun County (Va.) Board of Supervisors. City of Alexandria (Va.) mayor- Falls Church (Va.) City Council.. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority- Agencies supporting this legislation-Continued National Capital Planning Commission.__ Northern Virginia Regional Planning Commission Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Transit companies: D.C. Transit System, Inc. Washington, Virginia & Maryland Coach Co., Inc. Unions: Amalgamated Transit Union (Local 689) - Bason, George F., Jr., professor of law, the American University, letter McCarter, Hon. Walter J., Administrator, National Capital Transporta- Tobriner, Hon. Walter N., President, District of Columbia Board of Com- Tobriner, Hon. Walter N., Chairman, Board of Directors, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, dated July 20, 1967, recommending enactment of S. 2094.. Washington, Hon. Walter E., Commissioner of the District of Columbia, letter dated November 24, 1967, to Chairman Bible favorably recommending the enactment of S. 2094 Weaver, Hon. Robert C., Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Hon. Alan S. Boyd, Secretary of Transportation; and Hon. Lawson B. Knott, Jr., Administrator, General Services Administration, joint letter dated July 21, 1967, recommending enactment of S. 2094, and advising that the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Treasury, and Health, Education, and Welfare, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Smithsonian Institution also support the bill__ Pa 5 1: 1 19 AMEND THE NATIONAL CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 1965 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1967 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, The committee met, pursuant to recess, at 10:25 a.m., in room 6226, New Senate Office Building, Senator Alan Bible (chairman) presiding. Present Senator Bible (presiding). Also present: Chester H. Smith, staff director; Owen J. Malone, associate counsel; Howard A. Abrahams, associate counsel; Richard E. Judd, professional staff member, and James S. Medill associate counsel. The CHAIRMAN. At this time we will proceed to a hearing on S. 2094, counterpart bill H.R. 11395, bills to amend the National Capital Transportation Act to include Southwest Washington and the Federal Triangle in the authorized District of Columbia subway system and to eliminate the Columbia Heights route. The staff memorandum, copies of the bills, letter from Mr. McCarter, and various other communications will be made a part of the hearing record at this point. (The documents referred to follow :) [S. 2094, 90th Cong., first sess.] A BILL To amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965 authorizing the prosecution of a transit development program for the National Capital region and to further the objectives of the Act of July 14, 1960 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in accordance with section 204 (c) of the Act of July 14, 1960 (40 U.S.C. 664 (c); 74 Stat. 540) section 3(b) of the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965 (40 U.S.C. 681; 79 Stat. 664) is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 3. (b) The work authorized by this section shall be subject to the provisions of the National Capital Transportation Act of 1960, shall be carried out substantially in accordance with the plans and schedules contained in the aforesaid report, as modified in the report of the Agency entitled 'Revised Transit Development Program for the Nation's Capital, 1967', and shall be subject to the following :". [H.R. 11395, 90th Cong., first sess.] AN ACT To amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965 authorizing the prosecution of a transit development program for the National Capital region and to further the objectives of the Act of July 14, 1960 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the portion of section 3(b) of the Na tional Capital Transportation Act of 1965 (40 U.S.C. 682) which precedes paragraph (1) is amended to read as follows: "(b) The work authorized by this section shall be subject to the provisions of the National Capital Transportation Act of 1960, shall be carried out substantially in accordance with the plans and schedules contained in the aforesaid report, as modified in the report of the Agency entitled 'Revised Transit Development Program for the Nation's Capital, 1967', and shall be subject to the following:". Passed the House of Representatives October 9, 1967. Memorandum for members of the full committee. In re: H.R. 11395 (S. 2094), to amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965 authorizing the prosecution of a transit development program for the National Capital region, and to further the objectives of the act of July 14, 1960. Date of Hearing: 10 a.m., Tuesday, November 14, 1967. Both bills amend existing law to modify the route alignment of the District of Columbia rail rapid transit system authorized in the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965. The proposed modification authorizes a subway line to serve the Federal Triangle and the growing complex of public and private buildings now developing south of the Mall in Southwest Washington between Capitol Hill and 12th Street, S.W. It would also eliminate the Columbia Heights Route of the presently authorized system. Under the presently authorized system, persons traveling to work in the Federal Triangle or in Southwest Washington must transfer to buses along downtown G Street or walk from G Street. The first proposed modification will permit direct service through the Federal Triangle and Southwest, with stations at the Triangle and at three locations south of independence Avenue, S. W. between 12th Street and Capitol Hill. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority recommends approval because new building construction is expected to make Southwest the major center of Federal employment in the District, with an estimated 85,000 employees moving to and from the area by 1971. The second proposed modification deletes the Columbia Heights Route from the presently authorized system. This route extends from Connecticut Avenue and Columbia Road, N.W. to New Hampshire and Georgia Avenues, N.W. According to the bill's proponents, traffic studies conducted since 1965 demonstrate that the line cannot be economically justified. In recommending this deletion, the proponents suggest that a new mid-city subway line generally along the North-South axis of the central portion of the District will better serve the needs of North-Central Washington. On October 20, 1967, the Transit Authority endorsed such a line (running beneath 7th Street, N.W.) as part of a proposed regional transit system. According to the National Capital Transportation Agency, Modification No. 1 will increase the cost of the basic system an estimated $98 million, and deletion of the Columbia Heights Route will reduce costs by $56.5 million, for a net cost increase of $41.5 million. However, it is estimated that the Southwest modification will so improve the system's service capability as to produce additional revenues of $3.5 million annually. According to the Agency, the added revenue will be sufficient to finance the added cost over a period of years. No further authorization of federal funds is requested in the bills. The District Government, Federal Departments and agencies located in Southwest Washington, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and 19 local governments, transit regulatory and planning bodies, transit companies and unions in the metropolitan area have endorsed the modified system. H.R. 11395 was passed by the House on October 9, 1967. OWEN J. MALONE, Associate Counsel. Hon. HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, President of the Senate, Washington, D.C. Hon. JOHN W. MCCORMACK, NATIONAL CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT (DEAR MR. SPEAKER): There is transmitted herewith, for referral to the appropriate committee, a draft of legislation "To amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965.” The National Capital Transportation Act of 1965 authorized the National Capital Transportation Agency to provide for the establishment of the system of rail rapid transit lines and related facilities described in the Agency's Report entitled "Rail Rapid Transit for the Nation's Capital, January 1965." The legislation transmitted herewith would modify the physical system described in the Agency's 1965 Report by adding a line through the Southwest section of the District of Columbia and by deleting a line into the North Central section of the District of Columbia. The attached Report entitled "Revised Transit Development Program for the Nation's Capital, 1967" explains and justifies the recommended modifications. The modification would authorize a subway line to serve the burgeoning public and private building complex now developing south of the Mall in Southwest Washington and the Federal Triangle and would also eliminate the presently authorized Columbia Heights Route. The Agency's further study indicates this latter line would be an uneconomic element of the system and that more feasible and economically viable alternatives to serving the affected areas are possible and desirable. These alternatives involving a line in the 7th-14th Street area are now under consideration as part of the planning for the regional system being undertaken by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Adding the Southwest line and deleting Columbia Heights would improve the financial viability of the system, carry over 22 million additional riders annually, serve a new and predominately Federal employment complex of 85,000 workers, alleviate traffic congestion in the downtown area, and improve train capacity and operating efficiency of the basic system by eliminating certain complex route junctions. The financial impact of the modifications would be to increase the cost of the rail rapid transit system by an estimated $41.5 million, but no further authorization of Federal funds is requested since revenue from the increased ridership will finance the additional capital cost. In accordance with Section 204 (d) of the National Capital Transportation Act of 1960, governing bodies, agencies, companies, organizations and persons designated in that Section were requested to review and comment on the modifications. Every such organization which responded endorsed the two revisions. In addition, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which will succeed the National Capital Transportation Agency on September 30, 1967, unanimously endorsed the modifications. The WMATA is proceeding with its financial and physical planning for the proposed regional system. Alternative physical systems and their related financial plans are being evaluated by the members of the Authority. This work is proceeding rapidly and I anticipate that the progress by September 30 will enable the transfer to be accomplished as planned. I urge that this draft legislation receive prompt consideration by the Congress. Its approval will allow NCTA and WMATA to proceed with the detailed planning necessary to ensure a prompt beginning of the construction of the core element of the system, which has first priority. The Bureau of the Budget advises that there would be no objection to the presentation of this proposed legislation from the standpoint of the Administration's program. Sincerely yours, WALTER J. MCCARTER, Administrator. |