Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-14
Washington's Danger Zone.

To the Editor Of The Star:
No doubt all patrons of certain car
lines which pass the Treasury building
will feel and appreciate the changes
made in the methods of handling the
traffic at 18th street and New York
avenue northwest. Mr.. Beeler should be
complimented and assisted in every way
possible, because he is doing things
Things that were in much need of being
done The improvement is apparent
But there are certain sections in this
same vicinity which are still very dan
gerous for pedestrians. Some OF them
are veritable death traps. No doubt II
it were not for the untiring vigilance
of crossing policemen, human oiood
some of these places. The conditions
must be changed if the public is to be
given the protection that 1T is entitled
to.
These places may be described as
follows: Fifteenth street, from
street to New York avenue; u street
from 14th to 18th streets, New York
avenue from 18th to 18th streets and
14th street from New York avenue to
H street.
From 18th street east on New York
avenue to 14th street. thence north on
18th street to II, there are four car
tracks, and. Of course, this leaves a
reduced space for horse-drawn and
motor vehicles during the rush hours
of traffic. street from 14th to 18th
streets has only two car tracks, but it
is much narrower street, and. conse-
quently, there is not much room in it
at this point for private vehicles dur
ing the rush hours, These tracks would
not make SO much difference, perhaps,
if it were not for the fact that they
terminate within these bounds, right in
the place where traffic is EXCEPTIONAL
Again. there are. on Pennsylvania
and New York avenues and on 18th
and 18th streets. car tracks radiating
the multiplicity of dangers at these
places.
1t is positively dangerous for. even,
ffeet-footed person to undertake to
places when the traffic is at its heaviest
Then, what must it be for an aged and
tottering one? This increased danger
is due to the fact that the street car
bile traffic is much heavier than usual,
and the number of people walking
and especially ladies-has more than
doubled in few months.
Could not the congestion be relieved
and many of the dangers eliminated
and others greatly reduced by suspend
ing all through automobile and horse
drawn traffic Except ambulance and
fire cars) in this danger zone from 8
to $3.50 o'clock am. and from to 6
o'clock pm. every day except Sundays
and legal holidays? This suspended
traffic could be easily diverted to other
streets which are much less crowded
at these periods.
All motor cars are not driven by
skilled and careful drivers. The dan
gers to the pedestrians from the auto
mobile traffic is lessened somewhat by
the order requiring automobiles to not
run closer than a certain prescribed
distance to car while 1t is discharging
or taking on passengers. But this or
der is not lived up to strictly. The
writer has noticed a number of cases
recently where. when there was no Of
hcer nearby, automobiles would run
right by street cars at a speed believed
to be from ten to twelve miles an hour
while passengers were getting on or
off the car.
This is not offered as a criticism of
the police department or of any>per-
son, but it is merely a statement of
unforeseen facts which have developed
and must be dealt with. I hope for
the sake Of humanity that these condi-
tons may soon be remedied.
,=s THOMAS p~GANNAWAK.