What of our own Nation's Capital? Over 9 million tourists visit this city each year and all are bent on visiting the "monumental" area. In addition, by 1968, over 14,000 Federal and District employees will enter this area. In this area alone there is less parking than in any other part of the city.

Furthermore, when the "Little Pentagon" to be built near the Smithsonian, and the new Air Museum are completed, much of the needed parking now available in this area will be gone. Because of the acute shortage and the high cost of private land close enough to serve this area, private enterprise, acting alone, cannot economically or practically meet the parking needs that these tourists and Government employees will generate.

I suggest a practical solution to this pressing problem is the utilization of "parking rights" by a parking authority under the center strip of the Mall, running from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. Such a facility would provide parking for 14,000 automobiles, and expanding the figures I have just submitted for a 700-car facility, would provide an initial $3 million for beautification and almost $300,000 per year for continuing maintenance of the Mall area.

A plan such as I have presented will not compete with private industry, but rather, encourage private investment and the rebuilding and beautification of vast areas of the city. It will also encourage the rebuilding and upgrading of many existing and unsightly parking lots whose life is only as long as its economic return.

The detailed figures which I have given you today relative to the 700-car facility are based on the use of a system such as I am personally using in my Southwest Washington development. Faced daily with the challenge of the encroachment of the automobile in my capacity of developer and builder, I was forced to seek a new and revolutionary concept for the parking of automobiles.

I have found one. There may be others now, and I am sure that American ingenuity will devise even more unique systems in the future. In any event, the system which I am going to use to park automobiles in my Southwest projects is a computer operated, virtually laborfree system which will provide speedy, efficient, and economic parking. It is, gentlemen, nothing more than a conveyor belt-the basic system that separated Henry Ford from a dozen other would-be auto magnates. In an urban area, the only system that can take cars off the streets as fast as the conveyor belts of Detroit put them on is another conveyor belt. Incidentally, by use of this system, I feel that I have eliminated the hazards of human error, weather, vandalism, theft, and the natural hesitance of parkers, particularly women, to drive and park automobiles in cavernous tombs beneath the surface of the ground.

I have here in the committee room a working model of this computerized parking system. It has a park on the surface. If anyone would like to see it, I will be glad to operate it. I also have with me photographs of the park and model that I will offer for the hearing record.

Senator TYDINGS. We will have the photographs placed into the hearing record at this point. The working model we will see demonstrated after the hearing has recessed.

(Photographs referred to follow:)

Artist's drawing of park covering underground conveyor parking system.

Mr. BRESLER. Yes, sir.

As I said, I am making a substantial investment in order to install this system under the new Town Center commercial development in Southwest Washington.

I

Thank you for giving so much of your valuable time. I hope that I have contributed to your studies and have advanced the cause of a public parking authority whose creation I most earnestly urge. will be happy to attempt to answer any questions you may care to ask.

Senator TYDINGS. Mr. Bresler, we certainly appreciate your coming before our subcommittee. You have made, I know, a very splendid record as a Maryland legislator, and I believe you are recognized by the assembly as one of the outstanding men in that body.

I wonder if you would comment on why Washington, D.C., more so than other major cities seems to have resisted any and all efforts toward the construction of parking facilities under the Mall or public parking facilities of any type?

Mr. BRESLER. I think probably because, No. 1, the District did not have the proper tools to work with. No. 2, the construction of anything under the public requires a selling function. No. 3, I don't believe that the District of Columbia, without having revenue processes made necessary to them, without going for bond financing or some other measure, could effectively handle this.

I might cite a particular instance. In one portion of the Southwest development which I am not interested in, there is being constructed some 1 million feet of office space and a 1,000-room hotel. I understand the first two buildings have already been leased. The Urban Renewal Corp. and the District of Columbia suggested a 3,000-car parking space under there that was to be built by the District. Private enterprise is stepping in, will build that with private funds, make a profit running it, and still provide a tax base to the city.

It is pretty tough for a city to give this up. Of course, being a member of private industry, I feel every time somebody encroaches on my particular work, that I became afraid. But I have worked with the Government in urban renewal. We are working with the Government in low-cost housing. Private industry is working with the Government constantly.

I think a partnership between the District and private enterprise, where they both have a goal, not to take away the existing parking facilities in the central core area that are run by private industry, but to provide additional parking facilities in areas where they are not available, can be done.

Senator TYDINGS. Do you see any reason why public parking and private operations could not operate as harmoniously in the District of Columbia as in other cities?

Mr. BRESLER. I don't know of any. It depends completely on the administration. If you get a good man on top of a public parking authority or a committee, you can do wonderful things, but it depends completely on the administration.

Senator TYDINGS. Mr. Bresler, let me say again how much we appreciate your taking the time to prepare your testimony and your being with us this morning. I think you have added a great deal to the record.

We will continue these hearings on the 19th, 20th, and on the 25th of January.

Mr. Henry Barnes could not be with us this morning. We will invite him again to be with us to testify. He has had a great record as a traffic engineer. However, until the New York transit strike is worked out, I don't think he will be able to be with us.

At this point we will recess the hearings until January 19, 1966, at 9:30 a.m.

(Whereupon, at 11:40 a.m. the subcommittee recessed, to reconvene at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 19, 1966.)