Evening star., 1920-03-07

to turn pull in close to the traffic Off
ccr--works satisfactorily when both
pedestrian and vehicular traffic is so
light as to almost make trafhc offi-
Ger unnecessary at the turn.
1T works in heavy traffic in favor
only of the motoriSt and at the eX-
penSe of the pedestrian. the only
way to get rid of the vehicles stopped
in close to the traffic officer is to send
them, one or two at time. directly
through the line of pedestrians using
the CroSsWalks.
THE change proposed is not an in
nOvation. but is required in many OF
the largest cities, is a state law in
Ohio, and is in use now in Philadelphia
at Broad and Arch streets and other
places.
This method Of turning can be con-
densed into the following rule
"'All drivers of vehicles desiring to
turn either to right or left shall ap-
proach the street intersection close to
the curb line. On the go signal they
shall move their vehicles into line along
the curb line extended across the street
intersection and the near-side crosswalk
until the next turn of the signat. Whsn
the vehicles waiting to turn are the frat
traffic to move in either direction
This rule establishes the right of
pedestrians to have definite period in
which to have the exclusive use of the
cross walks while a stationary line #
us
| boundary Of the cross walk
This rule places the slow moving
vehicles and stopped vehicles at the curb
line where they belong, leaving the CEN
| ter of the street clear for fast through
traffic and street cars.
This rule absolutely prevents vehicles
| from driving into the cross walk being
used by pedestrians. who move in the
! direction indicated by the semaphore.
During the period required for the
| turning movement of vehicles. the street
cars have an opportunity to turn with
the center of the streets clear, and pedes-
! trians have an opportunity to clear the
cross walks for the movement in the
new direction.
at Broad and Arch streets, Phila-
delphia, as many as eight or ten cars
double ranked at the curb line on Arch
street, which is comparatively narrow,
are sent into Broad street traffic at one
time.
Imagine the confusion If that many
cars from one side of our streets at
tempted to pull in close to one of our
traffic officers to wait there until pedes-
trians had been allowed the free and un-
interrupted use of the cross walk
1T is none too soon to adopt now
rule at street intersections regulated by
a traffic officer, which is proven means
Of safety and to which the public will
become accustomed. before another few
years doubles the number of vehicles
TN our streets
another great advantage OF the pro-
POSED system of turning is that all sig
nails are given by the semaphore and
the personal equation OF the traffic on
Ger does nft enter into the proposition
Even if the traffic officer stands in the
street without semaphore he would
only indicate with his arms, north and
south or east, and west.
MANY an argument now occurs wren
The officers signals are Incorrectly given,
or misunderstood if correctly given.
Placing the officer on a tub, where
there is room for tub. helps a great
deal Even towers are now being erect
ed in the center Of the streets Of some
cities. but the signals are given by
scmaphcre and signal lights only.
Not Averse to Criticism.
The traffic committee of the Board Of
I Irade and the Washington Automotive
Trade Association are grateful for the
criticism, favorable or unfavorable, of
the suggested changes. as it is only by
discussion that improvements can be OBJ
tanned.
Many traffic problems depend Oh each
other, as. for instance, the dangerous
parking of automobiles in the center OF
streets cannot be permitted If law Is
ohtained requiring pedestrians to use
designated crossing places, for now hun
dreds of persons cross in the center Of
The blocks to reach parked vehicles.
Traffic regulated by the rule sug-
Eestcd has been so successful in Column
bus, Ohio. that the traffic officers are
housed in small square houses with
glass windows, and haSe only to move
The semaphore mounted on the roof.
Although the semaphore moves but