The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-18
THE NEAR SIDE STOP.
Letter From the Chairman OF the Advisory
Street TrafIc AssOctation.

To TIRE EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir: You
have published several communications
about the near side stop for street cars
AS chairman Of the commission which
recommended this measure comment on
certain phases OF the subject.
First. as to Fifth avenue buses: The
near side stop was put into effect by ar
rangement between the police and the COM
pany. The police report that It is working
well, and my own observation and that
OF my assistants confirms this
Next. as to street cars In his letter
TO THE suN last month Mr.. Cornell OF
the National Highways Protective Society
SAID that passenger who was about TO
aught or embark" must cross the road
way 1T a distance from the crosswalk
Certainly in alighting no passenger is
under such compulsion. Indeed. II Ia one
OF the principal advantages OF the near
side stop that the passenger may and
almost always does allght at the front
platform. Thus a steady movement in
nne direction inside tho car Is created
passengers entering NJ the rear and leav-
ing ut the front This contrasts with tho
condition encouraged by the far side stop,
mat Is. two counter movements. one group
or passengers struggling 10 get on at the
rear platform and push forward toward
the middle OF the car. the other group Of
disembarking passengers struggling back
ward. the Corners and the goers pushing
anu HllbN4UE fdfn Otner IN tnh narrow
space OF a street car aisle
Mr.. Cornell makes the objection that
vehicles are uncertain as to whether ears
are going to stop on the near side and
therefore find IL hard to observe the eight
foot rule. But at almost every corner
whore unusual traffic congestion creates
a potential danger there In police traffic
regulation. Hence the cars have to Stop
a considerable proportion OF the time be-
fore crossing, whether or not Passengers
want to get on or on this is quite indie
pendent Of the near side stop compulsion
Thus In either event vehicles have to draw
up on the possibility that passengers may
want 10 alight The near side stop i'm
poses no new hardship upon them
Picture the following condition under
the far Gide stop rule: A north and south
avenue with no street cars. but an OK
tremely heavy vehicular traffic. An east
and west street with both cars and heavy
vehicular traffic The police officer sig
nails the avenue traffic to proceed while
cars and vehicles on the street must
wait Then II ls reversed the east and
west traffic may now proceed A street
car full OF passengers goes across and a
stream Of vehicles parallel TO Il. But Just
as the car reaches the further side OF the
avenue II must stop To let of and take on
passengers. Meanwhile the vehicles are
coming ON. II they go right on, what
about the safety and comfort Of the street
car passengers? II the vehicles do not
go right on, II they observe the eight foot
rule, we have the stream Of vehicles halted
partly on the avenue instead OF passing
on as rapidly NJ possible and getting out
OF tho way OF the avenue traffic.
But n the passengers have embarked
and alighted on the near side the car and
the vehicles pass on without any stop
10 the next intersection.
| have not mentioned the unduestioned
disadvantage OF two stops where one
would serve Al considerable portion
Of our street intersections cars must stop
regardless OF whether passengers want Ia
get on or off. there are the FIRE stops. the
school stops, the stops at intersecting car
lines and the stops enforced by the traffic
police under the block system. Does II
not seem that the most rudlmentary prn-
clples OF efficiency should compel us 10
use those stops for tho taking on and
letting on of passengers instead OF adding
new stops by the thousand? Street car
traffic In New York Is none too fast: any
thing that will expedite 1t, provided that
safety is not endangered, should be well
come
All the exper, testimony our commission
could obtain was TO the effect that the
near side stop promoted safety, and we
heard from the police authorities of the
leading cities OF the country. The police
authorities OF practically all the large
cities, including New York, favor the near
side stop.
Tn this city there should be nearer
approach to uniformity, az THE SUN has
said edtorially This Is now being worked
out by the police Il, p. GooDRIcH,
Consulting Engineer to tho President,
Borough OF Manhattan, and Chair
man Advisory Street Trafic Commits
sion Board OF Aldermen.
New YORK, January l6.