New-York tribune., 1920-02-06
Plan to Check
5th Av. Traffic
jam Approved
One-Way Rule OH Citv'sBusi.
est Thoroughfare Between
34tb and 57th Streets tn
BE lnalgurated Feb. Is
Towers Will Use Flashes
Deputy Commissioner Har.
riss Hopes to Eliminate
90 Per Cent Of CONGESTION

riss Hopes to Eliminate
90 Per Cent Of Congestion
Oneway traffic without, it is pre-
dicted, the annoying bitches which
have made middle Fifth Avenue in re-
cent years a thoroughfa fare of bewilder-
ment for vehicles and pedestrians dur
ing business hours. will be inaugurated
at 10 n. m. on Monday, February. 16.
From this hour until o'clock in the
afternoon of that day New York CITY
will experience an innovation which. if
successful after thirty days try-out.
IS expected to revolutionizc surface
travel at every congested street inter-
section in the metropolis.
DR.. John A. Harriss. Special Deputy
Police Commissioner in charge Of traf-
fc, who conceived the one-way plan
year ago and has been applying himself
to its intricacies ever since. an
nounced the plan yesterday for the first
time at a luncheon of representative
business men in the Uptown Club, II
East Forty-hfth Street Until then the
details Of the innovation had been
closely safeguarded for the reason that
DR.. Harriss desired the assurance of
all interests concerned that there
would be full cooperation in making
the scheme effective. This he has OBJ
lalned. Endorsements being given by
the Traffic Committee, Fifth Avenue
Association. Fifth Avenue Coach Com
pany, uniformed traffic officers and by
{. representative committee of business
men.
Area Affected by Change
The huge area of business and resi-
Dental blocks bounded by Thirty
fourth and Fifty seventh streets on the
south and north and by Fifth and Park
avenues on the west and east repre-
sents tho traffic stream under the one
way system.
until y. m. daily traffic between Thir-
ty-fourth Street and Fifty-seventh
Street will move south only on Fifth
Avenue and north only on Park Ave
nue., forming belt line Of rotary
traffic. Traffic police stationed in the
signal towers now in course Of erection
on Fifth Avenue at Fifty seventh, FIT
tieth, Forty second. Thirty eighth and
Thirtyfourth streets. will flash red,
yellow or green lights in directing the
maze Of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
To ignore these signals. DIR. Harriss
says will result in unnecessary risk to
life and property because of the confu-
sion which will occur
Reduction of almost so per cent in
the time required to traverse Fifth
Avenue from Fifty-seventh to Thirty
fourth Street, at the busiest traffic
periods of the day, DR.. Harriss says,
is assured with the successful working
OF the plan.
What Regulations Provide
Regulations under the new system
provide briefly as follows:
Signals to be flashed from the towers
up and down Fifth Avenue, day ana
night, are:
Red sgnal-Traftic shall move on
Fifth Avenue, and all cross traffic from
the side streets shall stop behind the
building lines, or white lines marked
on the roadway.
Yellow signal--All traffic on Fifth
Avenue, as we'll as on side streets, shall
stop behind the building lines, so as to
give clear directfons
Green signal-Traftc from the side
streets shall proceed.
The signals Will be in operation from
a. m. until II midnight and will regu-
vehicular traffic but also of pedes-
trlans in crossing roadways
Before 10 Il. m. and after 3 D. m
traffic on Fifth and Park avenues will
be both ways. but on Fifth Avenue un-
der control OF the men in the towers
and at the other street intersections
where the semaphores will be main
tanned. The same signals will be al
ternately flashed, or as required by any
emergency. always having the same
slgnlfcation.
Two-Way Traffic on Madison Avenue
Traffic on Madison Avenue which bi-
sects the belt line area, and on Sixth
Avenue will be maintained as two-way
traffic
Vehicles going north or south on
Madison or Sixth avenue may turn a.
any available block (according to one
way traffic regulations in force on the
cross streets to reach Fifth or Park
avenue, and the same may be done on
leaving either Fifth or Park avenue,
east or west. TO reach any point desired
Inc floor Of the towers will be l2
feet above the roadway, to afford a
clear view for their occupants, and the
towers Will be SO provided at the base
as to sheer off passing vehicles, thus
becoming, in addition to their specific
purpose, isles of safety" for pedestri-
ans crossing the avenue at these points
BY conservative estimates, the police
official added, vehicle under the plan
may start from Fifty-seventh Street
and reach Thrtyfourth Street in from
seven and half to ten minutes At
present, at busy hours, this passage
requires as long as forty minutes
Broadway to Have Towers
He explained that at the Grand Central
Station one Of the most serious danger
spots will be eliminated by using the
ramp on Forty second Street.
Broadway is to have the signal tower
system soon, DR.. Harriss said and other
streets suffering from traffic troubles
will receive attention later.
DR.. Harriss is bearing all expense
attached to the innovation, and is add
ing forty men to the traffic squad to
assure successful operation of the plan.