Evening star., 1922-03-26


streets and not in the center, would
prove much more efficient.
Extracts From Horine's Article.
Parts Of MIR. Horines article fol-
There are too many vehicles for
our present streets to accommodate
safely and conveniently right now,
and the number of motor vehicles be-
ing added to the city rolls is in
creasing rapidly.
Rebuilding our cities is out OF the
question:; sitting the growth OF
motoring unthinkable. We must IN
crease the traffic capa :ity of city
streets, as they now are, to twice or
three times their present capacity.
1t can be done without tearing down
buildings, cutting through new streets
or building prohibitively expensive
The streets can be left just, where
they are now. Pedestrians can be ac-
commodated more conveniently and
safely than at present. RAPID transit
can be accelerated, and the parking
problem can be solved satisfactorily.
These things can be done at cost
probably far less than the present
losses suffered by reason of con-
gested, slow-moving traffic, the ap-
palling number of accidents on the
streets, wear and tear on vehicles and
their passengers nerves, and loss to
merchants. due to the inaccessibility
of their stores to shoppers.
Not Novel Proposition.
There is nothing novel in the sug-
geStion that the sidewalks should be
elevated. Street car tracks will have
to be torn up sooner or later. THESE
two things are fundamental necessi-
ties They will take from the street
the two principal causes of congestion
and danger-the pedestrian and the
trolley car. In their place will follow
streets extending from building to
building. and mobile, adaptable mo-
edges OF the street. instead OF the
middle. But this is not all. Most
shoppers. even though they drive
downtown in motor cars, are pedestri-
ans while in the act Of shopping.
Consequently. let US raise the main
waited sidewalks. In other words. use
the present second floors of buildings
for their main floors. The present
ground floors Of buildings will be
somewhat darkened by the overhang-
ing sidewalks, so why not abolish
them? We need the ground space
below the buildings to park cars in.
for porte cocheres to receive motor
cars taking on and letting off pas
sengers, and for loading bays for
motor trucks and delivery cars. This
does not mean knocking the props
out from beneath our buildings, but
of removing their walls. leaving the
main supporting columns and eleva-
tor shafts.
Unless something is done. starting
right away. our streets will soon be-
come so choked with traffic that mo-
toring will cease to be a convenience
and Il pleasure. Every citizen who
can afford it and is physically and
mentally competent has right to use
motor ear, outgTown city plans and
of rl fiji. tho NOT
withstanding. The danger is that
nothing will be started in anticipa-
ton of the crisis until the cost of the
necessary changes become Stagger-
ing.
Motor Car Popular Utility.
1.-THE motor car has become a popu-
lar utility. 1t is now no more q rich
mans luxury than golf is a rich mans
pasttme. The same clerks and work
men who now chase the unbreakable
egg over the public links are owners
or potential owners of motor cars. 1t
of public roads in this country would
provide room enough for the TO-
100000 motor vehicles already regis
tered, and all the increase that may
be expected in the next decade. The
trouble Is that only about 10000 miles
of our vast system of roads really
represent paved highways suitable for
motor travel. and the great bulk of
motor cars confine themselves to only
a limited portion of this mileage,
since most of the motor-car traffic is
in and about cities.
so far as means of production,
operating fuel and supplies and mar
ket are concerned, the future Of the
motor car seems assured. But where
will we put all of the cars that seem
destined to be turned loose upon our
streets and roads? Already the traf-
fic problems, not only of the great
cities, but the smaller centers as well,
are assuming serious proportions. The
shrinks in comparison, for the pas
senser miles of travel in motor cars
last year was twice that of all the
railroads combined. An automobile,
affordinG accommodation to an aver
age of four persons. takes about one
third the space occupied by a railroad
car accommodating sixty. People who
trtvel by rail are content to adapt
themselves to schedule and wait pa
tightly for the moment when the
tr4in leaves, while the very essence of
motor travel is its independence of
rohte or schedule
Nerve.Racking Experience.
THE Saturday afternoon or Sunday
drive in any one of the fifty largest
Ahertcan Cities" objects Mr.. HORNE,
"fes become a nerve-racking, close
orFer march. So necessary has it
ouf tagging behind or overtaking
others that
-On certain roads on the Jersey side
of the Hudson it is the practice Of
thf police to penalize those who get
out of line by forcing them to stand
et41 at the side of the road until
fr4m fifty to a hundred cars have
paesed. Necessary regulations con-
cetning how corners may be turned
offen necessitate running around
1ofr or more blocks in order to reach
a point only a block from the start
inf place. Curbside parking ls be-
coming almost an impossibility in
mSst OF the larger centera Pedes-
trt thnism is becoming one Of the most
hazardous Of outdoor sports Traffic
pedestrians alike Is fast making tho
OPERATION Of street cars on main busi-
ne$s streets hopeless.
&rhe reason for this is that with a
tremendous increase in the number
Of vehicles per mile Of street, there
tr$f1c space. Indeed, on some Of tie
older streets the traffic space is ac-
tu&1ly less than it was fifty years ago,
dub to the widening of sidewalks to
accommodate the throngs afoot and
,ps the no monopoly Of the best part Of
esfs. ''rss'-'n' "'00'e-'' street
Gives Four-Fold Reason.
'The reason for this increase in
density Is four-fold:
FIn the first place the! population
of most Of the cities has grown tre-
mendously without q corresponding
increase in the number or width Of
streets THIS increase in population
tall buildings in the business section
and much greater density Of popula-
tion in residence sections, SO that