The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-13
STRICT PROVISIONS FOR
TRAFFIC REGULATIONS IN
CITY'S NEW ORDINANCES
Automobiles Must Stop With Side Street
Car Left While Discharging Passengers Use Only
Bulb Horns-Commisson to Designate Streets to Be
Used for Parking Vehicles

USeu LOT I d.
MANY revolutionary provisions are
embodied in the traffic and automo-
bile ordinance which the city commits
siOners have agreed to adopt at the
regular commission meeting Tues
day. The body of the ordinance was
drafted by Assistant City Attorney Jo,
Mudd, but II contains suggestions and
amendments from alI of the city COM
missioners, other city officials and
many citizens.
One of the unusual regulations oi
the new ordinance is the stipulation
that all automobiles must draw mp Il
the curb sideways with their front ent
turned In the direction the traffic IL
going before they can stop to take OF
or discharge passengers. Another is ths
fact that no automobile can pass
street car on the left side while tn,
car Is taking on or discharging pas.
sengers.
In order to cross the street every
vehicle will have to go to the enc
of the block and turn around and come
back on the side desired, these gen
eral traffic route regulations being tht
same as are now in use in all of tn,
larger cities of the country. No vehicl,
can travel at a speed of over 16 miles
an hour in the city limits and no
over eight miles an hour in the down
town district. Before any vehicle stop:
or backs up it is necessary for tn,
driver to signal whoever might be be.
hind him by wave of his hand to tn,
side of the vehicle.
Other Stringent Provisions
In case of an accident of any kline
the driver or owner of the vehicl,
must stop and give his name and ad
dress. No automobile sirens of any
kind will be allowed on cars excep
ambulances and such vehicles. the onl!
horn admitted being the bulb horn
No car or motorcycle can be operated
unless the muffler is cut in on the cyl
inders and no car can be left stand
| ing along the curb with the engin,
running unless someone Is with it.
| In the parking provisions of the or
dinance it is set out that no car car
be left along the curbing of the down
town district for more than 20 minutes
at time. and the police are to b,
given strict orders to enforce the law
To remedy the situation the commits
sion within the next day or so will
designate certain places where auto
mobiles can be parked while thei
owners are shopping or are at thei
| offices or any other business tina
might keep them over the required q
minutes. Two of these places will b.
one at each of the railroad station
and another parking place for tn
downtown district will probably b
designated as Capitol park, where tn
cars will be allowed to park alonl
the sides of the park 1t has beel
suggested that telephone could b
installed here for owners to inform
their chauffeurs that they were read.
| to use the car. For those who do. no
employ chauffeurs, it is pointed ou
that the park itself is but a walk o
minute or two from the downtown
business section and the big office
buildings.
Text of the Ordinances
| The ordinance was postponed fol
| final action next Tuesday because the
| commissioners wished that all citizens
who desired could avail themselves ol
the opportunity of becoming familiar
with it, 1t is in full as follows:
mo. 171-C, an ordinance to regulate
the operation of motor vehicles in the
city of Birmingham.
BE it ordained by the board of com
missioners of the city of Birmingham
as follows:
Section 1: Defnitions-The tern
motor vehicle as used in this ordi-
nance shall. except where otherwise ex-
pressly provided, include all vehicles
propelled by any power other thar
muscular power, except traction en-
gines, road rollers, fire wagons. en-.
gines, police patrol wagons, ambu-
lances and such vehicles as run only
upon rails or tracks.
Section Q: Rate of Speed-That il
shall be unlawful to operate or run
any motor vehicle upon the public
highways in the city of Birmingham
recklessly or at rate of speed greater
lndH is GtdSOHdDlt anu PiOpci, hdNlH5
regard to the width, traffic and use o.
the highway, or so as to endangel
property or the life or limbs of any
person; provided as follows:
Speed of Vehicles
"(a). That 1t shall be unlawful fol
any person. within this city, to run OF
drive any motor vehicle on or across
any intersection of two or more publ,
streets or highways, at a greater rate
of speed than sixteen (16) miles pei
hour; and. provided,
sob. That 1t shall be unlawful fol
any person, within the fire limits oi
this city Except fire limits numbers
8 and 81. to run or drive any motor
vehicle on or across any intersection oil
two or more public streets or high
ways, at a greater rate of speed thar
eight (S) miles per hour; and. pro
vided,
"(c). That 1t shall be unlawful fol
any person operating motor vehicle
to operate or run such vehicle on oi
across any intersection of two or more
public streets or highways in said city
at such speed as to be unable to pre-
vent running over or into or striking
any pedestrian or vehicle standing OF
or crossing the highway crossing a
| such intersection.
Section 3. That 1t shall be unlaw
full for any one to run or operate an,
motor vehicle upon the public street
or highways of Birmingham withou
having in the proper place on such We