Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-13
DAVID k,RscHsAUM
On PhiIadelphia's Traffic Problems

THERE are three concrete things which
L must be done if the traffic problems of
Philadelphia are 10 be satisfactorily solved,
according to David Kirschbaum. one of the
most profound students of this complicated
question in the city.
First Of all" said Mr.. Kirschbaum.
| there should be no parking allowed on
| Chestnut or Walnut street between Seventh
and Eighteenth streets. between the hours
Of 30 A. NJ. and 6 p: NJ. Next. CO.
! ordinatcd system of electric semaphorcs
| on Broad street north and south Of the
| City Hall must be installed: and. third. all
! turns should be eliminated at Broad anu
| Chestnut. Broad and Walnut, Twelfth and
| Market and five or six other equally danger
! Gus points.
Three Different Phases
The subject of street traffic must be
| divided into three phases: First, things
which can be done Immediately without any
| legislation or expenditure of money: second,
| things which can be done with little legisla-
| ton and small expenditure of money. ana
| third. those things of q larger nature which
require considerable legislation, the cHpcndi-
| ture of a considerable sum of money aud
| carefully engineered program in order 10
| meet the demands Of the ScsQui centennial
| and the other problems OF The future.
"Contning ourselves 70 the present
| cmergency-that is. the need for immediate
relief in a few highly congcstcd sections
! tho amended Won Tagcn ordinance is step
| forward but the step is not long enough nor
| the viewpoint sufficiently comprehensive.
! 'lf Philadelphia IS to get Immediate relief
from the most pressing OF her traftc evils.
| some of the provision, Of that ordinance
must be changed. For instance. the one
| hour parking privilege in the shopping dis
| tricts of Chestnut and Walnut streets. while
| giving O convenience to a comparatively few
| persons. would Inconvenience great many
| more. for il will unqueStlOnably cause even
! greater congcstiou both 10 motors and street
| cars than we are now experiencing.
Fifteen Minutes Suggested
| There should be absolutely no parking on
| these streets between Seventh and Eighteenth
! streets between the hours OF s 80 A. NJ. and
p. NJ. If. however, there must he some
| yielding to pressure. let US cOntnc that park
| ing to fifteen inmates At the most.
| .Another serious objCctio is the rcscrva-
| tion of only forty feet for the arrival and
! departure of automobiles in the above shop
7 ping district. II is easy to sec what will
, LaDpen when there are three four or five
, cars trying to use this space AT once. The
middle Of the street will be blocked, because
| Of the many street ears back of these motors.
, The minimum permitted should be eighty
| feet.
''Thc provision that q driver who wishes
| to change his direction or TO stop must
| signify his intention ten feet before the point
Is reached is ridiculously inadequate. The
| average length of motorcar Is thirteen
feet. Going at ten or twelve miles an hour
one can see that the minimum length should
be fifty feet and really should be 100 feet
when the driver should indicate change of
directi ion or a wish to stop. Going nine miles
an hour an automobile travels eighteen and
two. thirds feet second, or 500 feet n
minute, almost two city blocks, and the pro =
| posed ordinance allows ten feet for change
Comment on this q supcrhuous
Relief on Broad Street
But there is absolutely no provision for
! the relief Of the congestion on Broad street
Suporintendent Mills has made careful
; study of the subject, and so have n number
! of our committees in the Chamber of Com
merce, and all know that the system EN-
| poycd so successfully on Fifth avenue in
New York is absolutely practicable and
can be used in Philadelphia. That system
or something like it must he used if we are
to have any rellef.
"The situation today on Broad street is
deplorable. As an illustration. coming south
! or going north on Broad street when traffic
is most cOngested traffic is held up every
block and sometimes at the half blocks, such
as at Fairm0unt avenue and again at Ridge
avenue. Now. with Wood. Cherry nnd n
number OF other minor streets used az one :
way traffic streets for the purpose of relieving
the next parallel main street, is 1t not EASY to
see that traffic on Broad street will be further
interrupted because of more frequent inter.
sections!
I'm some cities In the West no traffic 4,
permitted from these small streets except Al
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