Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-25
TRAFFIC REFORMS SHOULD
NOT STOP WITH TRoLLEYS
Too Many Street Corners In Phils.
delphIa Are Growing as Dan
aerous as BattlefieIds

IL service is pleasant enough But
the troubles of trolley riders are nj
longer limited to slow and overcrowded
cars.
Traffic rcform-and we are sure Il
hear n great deal of debate relating tc
all that is implied in that general term
cannot properly begiu with technical
surveys alone. II will begin when
those who WELD authority for the
street car corporation and the city itself
come down to earth aud stay long
enough TO achieve the viewpoint of the
man in the street. Those who are
busiest with schemes for rerouting cars
aud easing traffic congestion will find,
it they take another look around. that
skill, courage and daring are needed
nowadays to even board a street car in
some parts Of tho city.
Why. for example. should a man who
has to wait for n ride homo from work
be asked to believe that load of coal
or five ton truck loaded with build
ing material hurtled through the street
at a thirty mile clip. has rights and
privileges superior to his or that it is
better entitled TO quick passage and u
clear way?
If trolley users are becoming a pessi-
nStiC lot il is because they have n
whole flock OF new concerns to engage
their interest. They are not only de-
laycd. crowded and shouted at. They
have to wait in safety zones that are BY
no means safe. Motors of all sorts,
driven by men with the tense faces Of
fanatics, roar M aud crowd for the
right TO roll over their toes. These
same machines bcfoul the air with smoke
and poison gas to prove that. though oil
and fuel are steadily increasing in price.
some folk feel rich enough to waste
them endlcssly
On Market street especially. during
the rush hours. The crowds who have 10
wait for trollcys have good reason to
believe that those who run the city and
boss tho streets have forgotten them
altogether.
The traffic men do their best in
difficult situation. They have to keen
the streams of vehicles in motion. And
II mon and women are not killed every
now and then in tho terrific ruth il is
hecaus" of the alertrcsS of the police
men on post and because people who
wax have become nimblc and alert in
obedience to the instinct of self prcsor-
vation.
The legal speed limit for all vehicles
on Market street is fifteen miles an
hour. Many motorcars do thirty.
IN" speed rule ought to BE- moro
rIgidly enforced. Passenger cars and
trucks would los" few minutes on tho
way through the congested areas. but
many thousands OF people who walk
ana wait IN the streets won'd find wei
come r"lirf Tor their tangled nerves.
IN a"hington. in Faris and else.
Wh"T" Platforms are erected at the sid"
OF street car tracks ~ space such as
Is gwen 10 the satctN 2"'"S on Market
street Ioese platforms ar" Lowell with
tAr Stops ot INC cars. .h"y provide
F''l'' TOT III" pnbl" IN winter WHOM the
streets are covered with Slush and snow.
'Nhd ut AL times iA"y protect street
car users against brutal and dangerous
'roWuihg oN trh'F, ana other motor
''hlc''S'
Honl" Su'h provision ought to b" mad" F.
-" '"", IN, ~ S'I''' III III" DOWNTOWN 500 .
,'pn' n' drI'.rN "' al sorts OF motor |
H'"'''TN N""i'" o" '"mpc'Icd +" decent .
I'R"r,. lot 'n' rlsh'N 81 all po"pI" who ,
20 af'"'. as It =. every motorrar .
life and death.
The police have their hands fuII n !
the crossings rnd they cannot slow nm
traffic N one point unless il is slowed |
m oil along the line. With tho divor.
sion of >omc Of the motor ,rofi, 70
Arch and Race streets n soror ordor .
ought to hr possible in other rnrtraI .
thoroughfnrcS thar oro barorirg n.
dangerous. in spots, a. hottIofoIds /
There iy an imrcrative need foo for
a polio" crusade against tbn automobiIo .
smoke nuisance. Motorcors Jo mot |
smoke in Fairmopnt Park for tho elm.
j." reason that their drivers will ho !
inod il they do or politcIy usberod ont
II tho first entrance. machine tbot .
caves a cloud Of no,iors ono ard sr,ol,o .
n il, wnl;e moods orIv - fov minute,
# mechanics atteutior ovDory ,,.b,
ave 10 regard for the doccnrins of rho
oad and who orc uogIigopt c,ou.h -
,a,Io money in holf. burped froi .o,,d
XroS. oil md ~ tho .on,n tir,o ,,oira,,
hc air for muItitrdos cortoirIv nood
he disciplinary attention of rho trafc
,oIico
The police, too. seem to be obsossod
With the notion that something terrible
cill happen if all vehicle traffic isn't
hoood through the crowded thorough
ares at top speed. There NAV be some