New Britain herald., 1922-11-07
PARKING AND TRAFFIC

Every tlme one Who nus u'Ns"
 motor vehicles in the larger cities has occasion to drive about New Britain's center. he is surprised to find that he may drive In any direction on the west side of Central park. It Is proposed to make this "one way" street. Ger tainly 1t should be done; the wonder is that conditions have been left as they are as long as they have. There have been objections made to this pro posal. Some merchants feel that 1t would harm them to have entrance to and egress from their stores made difiicult--to have restrictions placed on this street upon which their places Of business front. It Is believed that there would be more travel on that street west of Central park were all traffic In one direction to be diverted there, as 1t would naturally be under the new plan, than there is a present. But as the street is not wide enough for o-direction traffic and the troll ley cars, such increased traffic would of course. be less troublesome. It is believed the business of the merchants would not suffer because of the change.
 Chief Hart's other recommendations as reported, seem proper. About a dozen motorists having places of bus mess on. or near Church street would object strenuously to limiting the parking on that street.-But as the sit uation Is at present the same people are benefited by the unlimited park ing from day to day and many people are inconvenienced by not having place to park their cars while trans acting few minutes business in one of the nearby offices or stores. The merchants along main street would be benefited by allowing only 40 min ute parking on Church street.
 The same conditions affect Court street. Parking for a short time should be allowed there. Parking on West Main street should be limited to very brief periods, while parking accom- modations, for the present at least, should be given on Washington and High streets except at the corner of South High and West Main, which Is a bad corner when cars are parked there. The corner at Walnut and Main should be kept free of cars for a short distance at least.
 The streets are not intended for garages, while they are intended for the convenience of the people who use vehicles Turning the streets into places where cars may be left all day or a half day not only inconveniences the people who want to use the streets freely; not only interferes with the free transacting of business with our merchants, but also sanctions the pre- emption of public land by private per- sons for private use. There are pub lie garages where cars may be left all day. There will be more as the num- Der of automobiles increases Possibly there will be underground parking places. At any rate the street are for certain purposes, and parking cars for an indefinite time is not one of them except in the case of physicians, per haps whose cars should be allowed to remain wherever in reason they will be the most convenient to the men who are called upon, in emergency, to save life to prevent physical suffer- ing.
 As before noted it would be wise to have a permanent commission to have this parking matter under considera- tion continually The chiee of police, or someone designated by him, should be an ex-officio member of such com mission. It is an important matter, growing of more importance all the time.