Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-08
"WALKING REGULATIONS" MAY
BE WRITTEN IN STATUTE BOOKS
Novel Measure Suggested BY Local Real
Estate Broker for Relief Of Congestion
of Street Traffic.

: So rapidly have the residence sections
of the National Capital been growing,
and SO much attention has been given
to this phase Of the development Of the
city, that comparatively little comment
has been occasioned by the accompanying
expansion Of the downtown business sec
ton. New stores of all sorts have been
opened, and many Of the older business
establishments Of the city have been
enlarged, so that the needs of the people
may be supplied. and all of this expan-
sion has had the very natural result
of materially increasing the congestion
in traffic on the downtown streets. Va
rious police regulations have been writ
ten on the statute books for the gov
erning of this traffic, but it has remained
for local business man to suggest
new and novel addition to the traffic
laws by which the movements of pedes-
trians, as we'll as the movements OF We
hicles may be regulated. The Sugges-
ton was made by j. Louis Willige,
president of the real estate Arm of Will
iige, Gibbs & Daniel, and In discussing
what he termed walking regulations,
Mr.. Willige yesterday said:
THE District Commissioners and MAJ.
Sylvester, superintendent of police, are to
be congratulated on their present efforts
to systematic the regulations of traffc
along our city streets. Time was when
it seemed improbable that. with our gen.
erously broad streets and avenues, de-
signed by the far-seeing L'Enfant, there
could ever be any necessity for restricting
in any manner the use of the street or inn
posing limitations Of any kind on We
hicleS or pedestrians. during the iast
few years, however, Washington has be-
gun to assume metropolitan proportions,
and the free and unrestricted occupation
of it's thoroughfares, especially IN the
downtown district and along the promi-
nent driveways in the residential sec
tons, can no longer be tolerated.
Subject of Much Importance.
1.-THE proper regulation of traffic is a
subject of much interest and Importance,
and deserves careful thought and study
on the part OF our municipal authorities,
in whom Congress has wisely vested such
matters Up to the present time about
the only requirements which are generally
understood by the driving public arc the
almost universal rule in this country
(Which is quite the opposite of that TN
England and on the conttnenD that
vehicles approach other vehicles on the
rIIhr-in other words, in accordance with
the sroverbial signboard notice. Keep to
the right as the law directs and the
later Injunction against fast driving OF
horse drawn vehicles and the propulsion
Of automobiles at rate In excess OF
twelve miles per hour, with slower speeds
around corners and across car tracks.
There is also the time-honored regula-
ton of the speed of trolley cars and
underground" electric railways.
Zone of the things which typifics Wash
ington and indelibly impresses the visitor
is the manner in which its streets are
used by pedestrians in utter dfsre-
gard of the understood rights of vehicles
The way In which our citizens engage In
Conversations, powwows and lengthy
caucuses in the middle of the most crowd
ed downtown thoroughfares IS typicallF
southern, and attributable, perhaps, as
much to the climate as to the fact that
ox-drawn vehicles, such as one sees in
the characteristic cities and towns In the
south, do not demand large amount OF
circumspection on the part of the pedes-
trian to avoid collision. Quite different Is
the custom and habit of the New Eng
| lander and the dweller in the middle states.
| with whom it has become second nature
| to exert constant watchfulness and eau
| ton when crossing thoroughfares and
| driveways, and who rarely engage in the
hazardous pastime of parleying in the
public streets
Change in Law Is Necessary.
From the time of the old English com
mon law the rights of the pedestrian
have been jealousy guarded. and the pub.
| lie is loath to relnquish any of the free
dom which 1t has enjoyed for centuries in
the use of highways. The gradual increase
of business and the necessity for all kinds
| of vehicles. from draws to automobiles ha.
become so we'll recognized in the develop
| ment Of mercantile interests and In sup
! plying the community with its physica
| needs, such as fuel raiment and shelter
| that certain refinements of the crude regu
| Iations governing street traffic have be-
come an evident necessity. The improve
ments in the recently amended regulation.
governing automobiles motor cycles. bi
| cycles, wagons, carts and all other means
| of transportation prescribing certain
| rules of conduct to govern the chauffeur
| or driver, must commend themselves to
every public-spirited citizen. and the hi
| cycle police, as the mounted squad is ia
miliariy termed, deserve the support ant
| co-operation Of every we'll minded indi,