New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-23
A NEAR-SIDE STOP
Engineer Goodrich Defends the Project
at Length.

at Length.
TO the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: In your editorial to-day. in criti-
cism OF the noar-slde stop for surface
cars. YOU raise the question whether the
travelling public in other cities approve
OF boarding and leaving the cars on the
near side OF the street.
The Advisory street Traffic Commission
wrote TO the police commissioners of the
important cities of the United States and
received answers from most OF them. The
weight Of opinion among the commission
crs who have studied this subject is heav-
lily I'm favor OF the near-side stop; in fact,
there seems TO be no opposition to it. eN-
cept I'm outlying sections where the streets
are unpaved and ii has not been seriously
proposed in New York to enforce near
side stop rule on such streets.
These days there IS probably nothing 10
which police authorities give more study
than street traffic regulation. and their
opinion is certainly worth something. II
IS for reasons OF safety first and next for
convenience that they favor the ncar-side
stop For example, the Superintendent OF
Police in Buffalo writes:
The ncar-side rule gives general salts
faction TO the public and there is no de-
nland for a change. II IS safer for the
public, reduces the danger OF collisions
and accidents at congested crossings,
since by stopping AZ the near side the
motorman has better control OF his car
f. crossing tho street. and pedestrians
and drivers OF vehicles can gauge their
actions better
The chief OF police OF San Francisco
writes:
The near-side stops have been the rule
since 1902, and the accident rates shows
decrease of 30 per cent"
The Mayor Of Nashville. Tenn, writes:
THE wisdom OF the near-side rule IS
easily discerned when the fact IS recog-
nized that congestion practically always
compcls cars TO stop on approaching
crossings i'm the business section OF the
city. and II the cars are not permitted 10
take on and let OF passengers while
stopped on the near side OF the street It
is found necessary then TO stop the ears
after the street has been crossed, which
would cause double amount OF conges-
ton and delay"
The Police Commissioner OF Detroit
writes that the Inauguration OF the near
SIDE rule has decreased the number of ac-
cideuts a street crossings. has facilitated
traffic generally and has been great
time saver; and no incloses n copy OF
letter from the superintendent of Grace
Hospital In which tho superintendent
says.
Previous TO this new regulation
scarcely day passed but one or more In
jured pedestrians or automobolists were
brought into tho hospital from n street
CT ossing accident. At the present time we
scarcely receive ono or two injured indl-
y.duals week from accidents at street
crossings"
OF course. a. you say the construction
of ears is An important consideration. but
IL should be borne in mind that the cars
which passengers both board and leave
solely at the rear platform are a very
small proportion of the total number OF
cars I'm service. There are thousands OF
the cid style OF cars on which both plat
forms are used for both boarding and
'aving. on the pay-as- you-enter cars the
front platform is used by a considerable
portion OF the passengers leaving, and
now the dc-sidc-entrancc ears are
being introduced rapidly. and I'm the Gaze
of these the door rs the same distance
from the crossing. no matter whether the
car stops on the near side or the far side.
II Is true that In exceptionally bad win