Evening star., 1924-09-17
THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM
BY ERNEST GREENWOOD
o nd

roads through areas suitable for resi-
Dental purposes.
One of the most important things
to be studied in connection with city
planning Is the question Of exits
from congested areas. This can be
illustrated by the fact that a narrow
bridge with wide approaches can
rapidity than a wider bridge with
narrow approaches. All the traffic
facilities, regulation and direction in
congested districts will be Of no avail
II facilities for quick exits at the
edges OF the congestion are not pro-
vided
Safety isles and zones are not al
ways an unmixed blessing. They fire.
quently cause a bottle neck" which
halves the capacity of the street at
that point. This condition can be
remedied to some extent by permit
ting cars to pass along the street car
tracks at the outer side of the zone.
The possibility of improving sight
conditions at street intersections is
interesting. 1t has been suggested
that in congested districts the lower
story Of the corners of buildings To-
Gated at these intersections be cut
away SO that the driver can literally
see around the corner"
\
In studying the relation between
city planning and safety and acci-
dent prevention IL must not be for
gotten that this planning is essen
TALLY constructive in it's purpose. An
important part of the problem is to
facilitate traffic and so guide munich
pal development that the city will
become constantly more usable. L,
is d simple matter to decrease accl-
dents by making the streets unusa-
BILE for motor vehicles. That would
be carrying to logical extreme the
restrictions and limitations now inn
posed by some traffic regulations
The city planners task is to make the
streets and other public places ade-
quate TO meet the needs of the pres
ent and at least the immediate fu-
ture.
The big problem before any traf-
fic conference, and as matter of
fact before every community in the
country, is to devise a safety and ac-
cident prevention program which will
not impede the movement of traffic.
There are innumerable expedients
which can be utilized to make the
streets safe, but If they are not studied
in relation to their effect on the
movement of traffic they will not
The American public will not stand
for anything which may even par
TALLY impair the usefulness of the
automobile. The ideal solution is,
Of course. one which will increase the
rapidity of movement of traffic and
at the same time reduce the oppor-
tunity OF accident.
X X
This IS the purpose of Secretary
highway safety: Improvement of traf-
fic conditions and reduction of acci-
dents. All the elements necessary
to such a solution are there. The
railroads. the street railways, the in
surance companies. highway officials,
motor vehicle commissioners, the au-
tomobile manufacturers, the motor
lists themselves. industry and business
have combined not only to devise a
model national program but to make
il permanently effective. 1t is all in
the days work with the Secretary.
But what consisiant policy of get
having a common problem and asking
them to cooperate in finding a So
luton. which he has followed ever
since he has been in Office. will some
day be recorded in the economic his
tory Of the nation as one Of the great
est single contributions ever made by
one man.
(The End
tCopyright. 1924. by Current News Features.
Incl