The Washington times., 1922-10-18
RATE FOR !.
BUSINESS.
SECTIONS
Oyster Thinks Present Figure
Too High-Motorists Care
less at Corners.

Reduction of the speed limit in
Washington from eighteen to
twelve miles an hour as a solution
of the city's traffic problems is
being considered by Commissioner
James F. Oyster.
The Commissioner is also giving
attention to regulation prohibit
ing the use of public streets by
skaters as a means of disposing
of the skating problem. i
Speed Limits Too High:
For the past few days ! have
had in mind these two plans" said
Commissioner Oyster today. TIE
present speed limit of eighteen miles
an hour appears to be a little too
fast, especially in the congested sec
tions of the city"
Commissioner Oyster declared that
seventy-five per cent of Washington
motorists pay no attention to traffic
laws. He said a recent count made
by members of the Home Defense
League showed that only one or TWO
: persons in about 500 slow up their
automobiles when passing irter
sections or going around corners.
AT the rate of speed automobiles
now go past corpers it is very
dangerous to the pedestrian" Said
Commissioner Oyster. Something
should be done to remedy tfJs con.
dition. do not believe with the
present limit that IL will be possible
to get automobilists to obey the
present twelve mile limit across in
tersections, unless "A uniformed pol
iceman is on hand at each corner"
II Commissioner Oyster recon-
mends a lower speed limit regul1 ton
to the Commissioners for adoption.
the regulation will apply to the con
Sested sections or to the old city
limits which take in that part of
the city below Florida avenue.
Survey Will Be Made.
Before making any decision about
the speed limit, Commissioner Oys-
ter will have the Home Defense
League make another survey of
conditions at crossings. Harry AL
mond, secretary to the league. was
instructed today to ask Rudolph
Jose, deputy head of the league.
and w. p. Raynor. head of the
motor corps, to come to the Dis
trict building for a conference with
the Commissioners. who plans to ask
the Home Defense League to supply
500 or more men to make the sur.
vey.
Commissioner Oyster said he rea .
lied that the reduction of the speed
limit would bring protests from the
motorists, and that he had this
plan in mind only as means of
cutting down the number of deaths
and injuries from accidents. The
situation at crossings, he said, was
most serious.
1T may have the wrong plan or
possibly a poor plan for solving
the traffic problem" said Commits
sioner OYSTER. For this reason.
I am going to give the idea serious
and long consideration. and will
make no move until ! have the
facts before me and feel convinced
that ! am doing something in the
interest Of the public at large.
Skating Also a Problem.
IT have come to no definite con.
clusion, and am open TO sugges-
tions and even arguments against
my plan. I want to do what is
right. II my survey shows ] am
making a wrong and unjust move,
I will abandon my plan. and do SO,
happily. II feel that The public
Is being best served in this wav."
Commissioner Oyster made little
comment on the skating regulation.
He said he had received a number
OF complaints against the skaters
and that possibly a regulation
might remedy the present condi-
ton. He also said that he was
considering roping off streets in
different sections of the city for