The Punta Gorda herald., 1922-09-01
GRADE CROSSINGS.

GRADE CROSSINGS.
During the past week or two there
has been great deal of discussion
regarding the proposed routes of
State Road Number Five as they are
being surveyed by the state road en-
gineer. There is cause for dissatis-
faction at Murdock, at Charlotte Har-
/ Dor and Punta Gorda. At Murdock
! the proposed route does not follow
the established road through the
main part of the community, and this
! is the case at Charlotte Harbor,
although at the latter place two
routes have been surveyed. One of
the routes through and beyond Pun
ia Gorda follows Marian avenue to
Gill street turning there and running
southeast to the railroad and follow
ing the railroad to the right-of-way
that has been cleared, instead of
following the established road to
Acline. The reason given for MAX
ing this survey is that the govern
ment requires that its road go under
or over railroads, where it is neces-
sary TO cross them, and that cross
ings be avoided where possible. We
don't believe that the sand-hats route
will be approved by the road depart
ment and we believe that matters
of the Murdoch and Charlotte Harbor
people, so we're not inclined to be-
come greatly concerned about what
the engineer is doing, and didn't
start out to discuss the relative merits
of the routes he is locating. This
lis merely a rather lengthy introduct-
ion to the subject of the danger of
grade crossings.
Why is the government opposed
to grade crossings so much that it
requires that its roads go under or
over railroads? Reference to statis-
tics of the war and automobile ac-
Cidents gives the answer.
In the past eighteen months there
have died in the United States more
than twice as many Americans, as
result of automobile accidents, as
were killed in the great war. Only
big conflict, while in the last year
and a half 81, 900 Americans died as
result of motor car accidents.
The startling feature of these fig
ures lies in a knowledge that the war
lis ended while thi motor car is with
us to stay and to increase in use.
Despite the heavy toll it takes in
human life nothing is going to stop
us proGiess
Consideration of the situation
brings it's importance home to, the
country even more than to the city |
because nearly seventy per cent of
the automobiles manufactured in
America are sold and used in towns
of five, thousand population and
under and on the farms.
This means that preventable
uCdluS III tl' Iouhtiy 90 u iSouit VI
automobile activities is proportion
ately great, situation so serious
that it cries aloud that something be
done to halt this yearly national dis
aster.
One of the great sources of auto
mobile accidents is the grade cross
ing, problem in every small COM
In many states the law prescribes
that when grade crossings are elm
mated the villages through which
they pass must stand a good proper
ton of the expense. This is a heavy
burden on the taxpayers.
On the other hand to order the rail
roads generally to eliminate crossings
at grade, either by an elevation or by
submerging of tracks, would appear
to be an unjust demand.
This matter of grade crossings is
more than local. Indeed it is so
national in character it might be well |
! for Washington to assist more ma
| terially than it does in checking the |
Icountry's most notorious death traps. |