The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-01
TO HELP TRAFFIC
City May Construct Safety
Loading Platforms.
Raised Zones for Street Cars a
Big Success.
pIIpI n NECnc ppnTCnTInN
PUBLIC NEEDS PROTECTION
TOpeka's Traffic Laws May Be
Amended Soon.
Mayor COrWine Says They
Prevent Accidents.

Topeka may follow the lead of other
cities in the construction of safety
loading platforms for street cars at
points where the greatest traffic oc-
ours
There is contemplated by the city
commission a resolution or an amend
ment to the city's traffic laws which
will compel the street car company to
erect these platforms tho the project
IS yet in a more or less nebulous stage.
Mayor Herbert ]. Corwine returned
recently from visit to several cities
in the middle west, on which he
studied the loading platforms which
have been erected there with view
to deciding on their value in Topeka.
They Prevent Accidents.
They are unsightly. and they block
traffic to a certain extent" Mayor
Corwine said, but they do prevent ac-
cidents, and that should be sufficient
justification for their unsightliness.
Our streets are wide enough that they
would not block traffic badly"
1t was pointed out that the motor
lists who observe the traffic rules of
the city must stay eight feet from a
loading passengers, and that the raised
platforms need not be eight feet, not
more than six or seven feet. wide.
kansas City had some of the plat
forms, but / understand that they have
removed most of them" said Mayor
Corwine. L don't know why they
took them out Indianapolis uses
them in many places"
Successful in Wichita.
platforms a tryout, and as a result is
building them on Il number of side
streets and at corners which are not
particularly busy
1t would be possible to order the
construction of the platforms. thru
either an amendment to the existing
ordinances, or thru a resolution
passed by the city commission, Mayor
Corwine said. There is no question of
the city governments right to order
the work done.
If they are built right they should
be built of concrete" said Mayor Cor
wine. "Of course wooden platforms
could be erected as an experiment but
l don't believe in too many expert
ments of this Sort
The general attitude of the city
commissioners. among whom the
project has already been informally
discussed, was favorable to the plan,
Mayor Corwine said. No official ac-
H.
Indicated that if there was a demand
by the public for the measure, the
commissioners would act upon that
demand
Indications from unofficial sources
are to the effect that the Street Rail-
ways company would not offer any
serious objection to building the plat
forms if the city commission ordered
the job done. 1t is understood that
the ma tier has not yet been discussed
f ia G
resentatives of the railroad company
Patton Favors Plan.
From the standpoint of the safety
of the patrons the Street Railways
company is firmly in favor of the con-
struction of the platforms according
TO Albert Patten, manager.
There are $4,000 passenger move
ments between Fifth and Tenth streets
ON Kansas avenue. every day" said
Pattcn today. The passengers are
entitled to some protection which the
marked out safety zones do not pro-
vide. The motorists pay as much at
tention to those zones as if they were
not there. In the past eighteen
months there have been more than
100 people struck by motor cars, while
inside the marked out safety zones.
Included in this number We're two of
our own inspectors who are accustom-
ed to working out in the middle of
the traffic and lodging automobiles.
One Of them was struck twice
Successful In Other Cities.
The raised safety zones have
proved themselves in Wichita and in
other cities. Wichita. after trying out
ten of Thorn along Douglas avenue, is
going ahead to construct them at all
important loading and unloading
points
They have proved immensely pop
ular there. both with the patrons of
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