The sun., 1912-07-14
NEW YORK TRAFFIC
EXPERT AIDING PARIS
William r. Emo Wants ia
Evolve Order Out of Chaos
In the Streets.
HOPE IN ROTARY SYSTEM
The Education Of Natives the
Great Thing, Mr.. Emo
Declares.

PARIS, July 3.-William Phelps Emo
OF New York is occupying a room a. the
Grand Hotel. whence he looks down on
the systemless surge Of street traffic
AT the points where the Rue Scribe and
the Rue Daunou intersect the boulevards.
Plans to evolve order out OF chaos are
filing his mind.
Already 10000 copies OF his new pam
phlet are being distributed among driv.
ers Of vehicles and policemen in the hope
Of Fastening the work Of education. Al
though Mr.. Emo has been anxious 10
leave Paris and take up the business Of
inquiring into the supply Of army horses
for the United States cavalry. he has re-
msined here an extra week in order to
explain his ideas TO NJ. Lepins. the Pre-
feet Of Police. who was glad 20 receive
his suggestions on the problem which
local authorities have thus far failed to
solve.
Mr.. Emo has already found improve
mems in one or two points since nc first
took the matter lip. but his suggestions
in many ways have been either misap-
piled or misunderstood.
"1n order to understand the present
status Of street traffic in Paris" he said
when chatting 20 The SUNS correspond
ent. we must bark back q few years
TO the days when chaos reigned abso-
lutely. The rotary or gyratory system
adopted at the Place de rE;oiie in 1907
is the same system as thav which was
adopted for the traffic At Columbus Circle
in 1905.
Rotary traffic will undoubtedly solve
many problems. It is applicable not only
to circles. but also 20 Intersections. need
ing simply a central safety isle as pivotal
point. IL will largely replace the block
system. which is objectionable on &C.
ing back vehicles. while those in the
intersecting street pass through and
then letting the waiting lot loos, in a
bunch.
THE rotary system distributes vehicles
more evenly over the whole surface Of
the street. consequently increasing its
capacity for accommodating the traific.
I; also requires fewer policemen to con =
troll the traffic. The rotary method
could replace the block system absolutely
OH Fifth avenue with properly placed
refugees and slight changes in the inter
sec sing car tracks excep.. perhaps. At
Twenty third stree,."
The New York traffic regulations trans
Is,ed inso French and with some sligh.
notifications TO adapt them to local
conditions. were printed in 1909 in folder
shape and OF size 10 fiji the drivers
licenses.
The education OF the drivers.- Mr..
Emo went on. lis what has made traffic
regulation possible in New York. and
would long since have given quick and
economical results here in Paris II per-
severed in. Police work. though neces-
sary. ia OF secondary importance.
Unfortunately. a. this time a local
municipal politician took up the question
Of traffic regulation. He wrote a report
which was printed at the public expense
and which consisted largely OF condemna-
tions OF the data that had been translat I'd
for him. with series OF recommendations
each Of which when OF any value Q,
all, had been copied from the same de.
spised source.
Through this mans influence . new
traffic ordinance was issued in 1910. al
most every section OF which had been
taken from the New York regulations. but
so mixed up and compile ated possibly
with view TO Disgusting the origin -
that it was bound to prove useless, even
II distributed to the drivers.
Nothing was accomplished in New
York until II was discovered that there
should be but one ordinance on traffic,
which should consist OF an order 10 the
Police Commissioner to regulate the traf-
fc. TrafYio rules should be simply police
regulations subject to immediate change
when necessary.
There are three great drivers unions
in Paris with q membership Of over $50. 900
They have been vainly petitioning to have
the 1910 ordinance rescinded and the
1909 regulations restored. Thus New
Works traffic regulations are law in Paris
now. though they are buried in the ordi-
nance from which they must he resur-
rected to give any real value.
Nevertheless" concluded MIR Emo,
the present conditions are far better than
those which existed when my work began.
Many Of the New York regulations have
been followed and a distinct impro ye-
ment is noticeable.
Many pairs Of narrow parallel streets
are now restricted to traffic In one direc-
ton only during the busiest hours. thus
eliminating congestion. Arrow signs to
indicate the direction which drivers must
take are under consideration.
This system ought to be followed in
narrow streets downtown in New York
The crawling cab nuisance Is far worse
in Paris than in New York. think that
both cities should adopt the practice that
prevails in London--having cab stands
in the middle OF the streets"
RISKED ALL ON A PRINCE.