Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-05
CITY ALL READY TO TEST
UNIFIED TRAFFIC CONTROL
Master To,Uers VII Regulate
Flow of Vehicles and Pedes.
tria,,s in Central Section
viii Enable Them to Move 81.
mlAtaneously Throughout
Ciiy's Busy Thoroughtares

TO handle the problems peculiar hero
and consists of main or master
tratiic control towers. working in uni
son with small local signals ~ all stree
intersections.
Councils Safety Committee has re-
ported favorably to the Finance Com
mittee an appropriation of SJO.OW t,
start the system. and Superintendent o.
Police Mills at last sees the successful
Towering Of his dream Of years.
Nobody seems 10 be against the sys.
tenn. All the chickering's over 'parkin.
limits" are foreign to the great plal
to control all the traffic of the central
seCtior Of the city--cHst and west. nortl
and ~Duth. at one time.
New York Likes Plan
New York has experimental witt
surh system in modified form ant
now has one working along Fifth ave.
nue.. 1t has just appropriated $50, ,OOl
for tn" extension of the system. The
arrangement planned for Philadelphia
howe|er. is not n copy OF New York :,
or that of Detroit. or of any other
city. 1t will be the first time any city
in the world has attempted control of al
the great arteries Of traffic in the hear,
Of the city simultaneously. Further, The
new system here will link up N the most
ingenious manner. mechanical contro
with the human element. as represented
by Philadelphia : efficient and highly
trained traffic patrolmen.
To begin witt. all trnthc in the cen
tral congestCd zone, between boih rivers
rs far south as Federal street an(
several miles north of Market stree q,
will b" under control of tn" system
Extension will be as simple as the ex.
tension Of Il telephone line.
I The traffic in all directions will be
. controlled easily and at the same time
! With this important eXreption-smal
portions of thc traffic streams may b,
controlled independently whenever loca
conditions render 1t necessary. In this
case the traffic stream will b" diverted
above and below the point of dis.
turbarce.
Traffic patrolmen AT street inter
sections will be kept on duty at their
old posts The only difference will be
these men will be given facilities that
will increase their efficiency.
Control Zone Extended
At present these men are isolated
Each stands upon his own corner
with his old fashioned hand semaphorc
and he can only control the traffic that
crosses his intersection. Ii there is q
collision or fire, he has no means OF
signaling that fact to other posts along
the line. Thus traffic becomes SO con
gested 1t is almost impossible to un-
scramble. The fire risk alone resulting
from Jammed streets is tremendous
as no fire engine could possibly get
Tho nau ,rssic. .co,,ro, o,,,irr,.r+ r.iI
be as follows: Every trafti" ratrol.
man instead of his litt,e hand semn .
nhore viii have ona sbowing ,hra.
colors Of .lectrir liohtS ,brouch nowor.
full lenses. These lights viii he aut0.
matte. hut viii also ho cnn,roI,eG h,
puSh buttons on the roleS thar bnl,
them aloft above the .rofi,. Eorl
signal no,t will he enuinnnd vi,b ,
telephona While ,b, rnior. az ,h,
LIGHTS have nn, va, hean de,orrrinoG
thar heinz Iof+ n rho Rnraom ~
standards ot Ws ssbirgtor-'i, j.. no,
,Umed for the nurn"ss of eynIona,io,
thar white mems go ohead ;; ro,
mans ..,on,, o,d ,maor oo,,
rnu'lon'
,,,,.d1, WI pI "'e o!s maste
o.r.s at .HF IiaII-ohe Ut the hoFtl
,to -, '.v At lH' eaH,' o,neLs d
o"e"' sTt TLo' anu Ut Tue farhpa.
i"gSc .oMerS VIII ron,ro
s, " ,"''' ''' N"'I,' wv;
'i,L I''"',ol '"''S' 'aI
49, h'I.cI oI'tai'N'' VIII u
.iureu a. stra,eg!rai points 10 De s.
toea'eh MAJ i,"'oltSCS' ped"s'rlhhs an'
peI, ann men on "u'F AT 'n
nt!ia'. "s"'S a. street crossings WI
dIiM".H u" III s!sh' ol one III elthe
""Gvt'oh. ,,,
nuper.n'rhueht Mills explained toda'
Jus, h"" the Wh"le network Ot !arg
anu Sihail towers WI! work.
, S!EnaiS 'or the entire area, n
sa.u, VIII be sent from one OF IN
NAN towers AZ 'lty HAL TO all othe
,o"erS ana all seMaphoreS at crossings
h'C Us assume the sigma! IS 60 on IL
n"tta ana South streets.
; Al tram" north ana south betwee
'he TWO rivers WI move at once, u.
OF DOWN IN parallel streams All eas
ana west trat1c, wherever it may be
VIII come 10 full stop. Pedestrian
e also VII! cross II they are going mort
? or s"E'A.
All Eotiaed a, S. r,.,
az '''''e '"'e
~, men, T'le' Ref!od or a m!nut
~ 'No' VIII come the caution signal
!. A. Us say " - green All right, gree
.,,.,.., '''S ''e'' ga "ou
Staitea 10 Gf3sS the streets see gree
vi Tue hihaIl I,Shts at the intersection
TheFG 'he trahc patro'nen stand, an
o,rp! N"I" tney nave lime to reach tn
I,"'F H!d" before hed' or stop, shows
, eFsohS aoout 10 step on the curb w"ul
> oe wiser 70 wall Tor red viii 500
, snow ,S,, ana me ,rqttr current change,
everything east and wes, mos, vabirm
: lar and foot traffic. Then the chang
E 70 north and south again.
Remember. when the big towers 90
the signals the same signals show up o