Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-20
MORE MOTOR
ROUTES BEST
TRAFFIC HELP
Downtown Congestion Could
Be Solved, in Part, by
Opening Streets.
PROBLEM OF THE JUG
Hv voLNEY 3. FOWLER.

You can pour just so much water
through the neck of a bottle at a
time. and after the bottle is.tuI you
can force in no more.
Consider the congested district Oh
Indianapolis-the section jammed
with traffic and not the technical ter
ritory set out in the city trathc crdl-
nance-as the bottle, and the various
streets entering these arteries as the
neck. So many hundreds Of vehicles
can be rushed through the neck into
the bottle at a time. Except upon
occasions Of great celebrations there
never has been a time that the bottle
has been full to overhowing. but the
time has come when it is getting so
crowded it is exceedingly difficult to
move about inside. The moment Is
here, those who give thought to the
problem declare, when attention to
the enlargement of both the neck
and the bottle must be given.
ARTERIES NOT WHAT
THEY SHOULD BE.
Were arteries into and out OF the
downtown district what they shouId De
there would be no neck to the bottle, or
the neck would be Just as wide as the
bottle. Because travel into the heavily
crowded downtown streets has been
shunted into fewer routes than there
oucbt to be and because the bottle is not
large enough to hold the fun load com
fortabIy Indianapolis has its present
downtown problem
The agencies which finally come to
the common sense solution OF the whole
traffic problem must, as has been stated.
look at It with the city wide viewpoint.
There must be no relief for one part
without full realization Of the effect up
on the whole. Ii is such 4 coordinated
solution which is needed. Three kinds
Of traffic must be kept in mind in deal
ing with downtown troubles, street cars
vehicles not operating upon fixed rails
and pedestrians. Forget not the latter
Let them have a fair inning at last.
WHERE HEAVY
TRAVEL SHOWS.
Because by far the greater part Of
downtown travel. and all street move
operating on fixed rails. principally au-
tomobiles. the general difficulties Of this
class are taken up first. The greatest
movement in and out Of the downtown
district Is from the north side, say from
the territory north of Ohio street be-
tween Capitol and College avenues Most
Of this traf1c moves over Meridian street
The heavy load Of the remainder is in
Capitol avenue, Delaware street and Mas
sachusetts avenue In addition, much Of
the motor travel from all other parts Of
the north side gets into these streets.
This means that the movement of more
than half of the motoring public is con
densed into four chutes Three times this
number should be available. but few will
say that this is practical. Eight prin-
cipal openings might be used if joys
were removed and more bridges pro-
vided. Such improvements, which have
been discussed by authorities. will be set
out later Traffic flows in the strightest
line. Make more direct, unimpeded ways
and motorists will fall into them.
THREE SHEETS
SUPPLY SECTION.
The part OF the bottle neck which
admits motorists from Irvington and the
great residential district north of WASH
ington street, south Of a line about mid
way between East Michigan and East
Tenth streets and east Of the Big Four
and 8IonOn railroads comprises only
East Washington, East New York and
East Michigan streets. Most of this
traffic comes into Washington and New
York streets and by the time It reaches
Continued on Page FOur.)