The Washington herald., 1921-01-31
Steep Grades, Circles and
High Speed Run Up
List of Accidents.
MORE OFFICERS
ARE IN DEMAND
Dangerous Crossings Said
To Be Without Regula-
tiOn.

WAshington's like 1910 debut
ante-an curves" remarked a mo-
tortst whose daily paths traverse all
sections of the city. That phase of
landscape art which punctuates all
Travelled streets at intervals in the
form Of circles and conveyance of
many streets, while enhancing the
cityS beauty is really the evil be-
meath its traffic problems"
Armed with evidence that traf
hc problem does exist in the form
Of daily accident reports, a report
or, preliminary to interviewing the
recognized centers of trafic infor-
nation, chatted with three repre-
sentatives Of classes who have to do
with traffic as artful dodgers; a
pedestrian who lives within walk
ing distance of downtown and con-
sequently rides neither in an auto
or street car; a strap hanger
whose destinies on curves and
slopes are controlled by motormen
and a mCtorist.
The pedestrian was ultra modest
\ and cautious, a trait Indigenous to
pedestrians. When finally he VEN
tured an opinion it was to the ef-
feet that careful study would reveal
that autos and street cars Uttered
up traffic something scandalous."
BIames Curves"
The straphanger. living on the
Mount Pleasant line, blamed green
and reckless motormen for the few
thrills he had gotten out of life and
thought the traffic problem centered
in closer restriction OF street car
speed and better instruction of car
drivers.
The mOtorist took a modicum Of
blame on himself and the shoulders
Of his fellow drivers and delivered
all remaining guilt to the pedes-
trian.
Such generously unbiased views
sent the inquirer to the only refuge
Ieft-the home Of the householder
adjacent to dangerous curves and
Congested corners.
What are regarded to be three
Of the most dangerous intersections
lying out towards the residence dis
lElCL arc as IOllOWS.
Florida avenue and Fourteenth
street northwest where a gradual
car-track curve adds to the dan
ger Of a steep slope. five blocks
long. While only four streets con-
verge at this point, neighboring
householders point out that this sit
uation seems to encourage Capital
Traction motormen to exceed the
speed limit statute of Is miles. es-
peciauy in morning and evening
rushes.
Eighteenth and U streets north
west, the junction of six well-trav-
eled streets, where risk is increased
by a car turn so acute as to be
almost a right-angled turn.
Connecticut avenue at the JUNG
ton Of Florida and S, which ter
inmates a long slope, marked by two
sharp curves within several blocks
Of each other. 1t was here that
two W R. & E. cars crashed last
Saturday, injuring a number of pas
sengers.
Ne Policemen.
There are no regular traffic po-
Iicemen at any of these functions.
During rush hours motorcycle pO-
Iicemen patrol these areas, but they
do not direct traffic by the Come
30" system, merely untangling bad
trafic jams when necessary and
otherwise viewing the passing show.
Major GessfOrd. chief of the
metropolitan police, when asked i'll
ne thought this plan of traffic su-
pervisiOn was adequate, said:
1T is the best afforded. There are
a great number OF spots, worse than
these enumerated, at which we
would like to have men. We haven't
the men on the force and, as these
points are not car-track intersec-
lions. the traction companies can
not be instructed to patrol these
points at their expense, such as is
done in the dense downtown sec
tions."
On Fourteenth street from Fair
mount to U street. motormen fire.
ouently coast down this slope at a |
speed estimated from eighteen TO |
twenty-five miles. /
Mrs. E. Brett, Oliver Apartments, |
Fourteenth and Florida avenue, |
said that at times the roar of these |
cars speeding down the hin hasI
caused her to rush to the window |
in alarm
fast that. when passengers at Flor |
ida avenue signalled a stop, the !
motorman would skid almost a |
block past the corner l have a |
child Of my own and I am deeply |
concerned in this condition"
In all three of these points illus
trated the hazard of steep slopes is
further increased by acute curves
Eighteenth and L.
At Eighteenth and U streets,
naturally bad situation is heighten-
ed. residents say, by a puzzling sys-
tenn OF silent traffic direction. Six
streets join here and motorists from
the four directions have only their
own impulses to guide them The
safety isle in the foreground, called
by residents a pancake with a
Iamp-post growing on it," is really
A menace, they say. 1t is twenty
sHye feet from the car stop so that
there are two legs to the journey
across the street to await a car
Trafic going porth on Eighteenth
street frequently yeers to the right
Of the isle and, between 1t and the
car stop. At other times a course
straight north is continued.
Or. Paul Pearson, proprietor Of
a pharmacy on the corner believes
added safety would be insured byi
moving the pancake" over to the