The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-01-08
Street Widening Is Paramount
in Traffic Betterment
By BILL PRICE.

That the widening Of streets in congested parts Of Wash
ton paramount any betterment Of traffic conditions
shown in the attention being given this subject BY Major
HoIcomb chairman Of the newly created traffic board OF
the District government.
pointed the wisdom of decreasing sidewalk space
number of important downtown streets and adding this space
consideration the widening of street for east and west
traffic. Tenth Twelfth Thirteenth and Fifteenth streets, in
certain parts north and south traffic These streets have
often been referred in this newspaper containing
unusual and amount OF sidewalk space which
might Just as well given roadway purposes Their
widening would add much to the pleasure of automobing
in these parts of the city and would unquesionaby
tribute the better Of customers to business houses
and offices Business seriously handicapped
the transportation of merchandise and in the ability Of their
customers who to conveniently reach their
establishments
The engineer department of the District government
doubtless looking ahead in this whole matter Of future traffic
Not only should old streets be wdened but new streets and
suburban roads must be wide possible Every new
from should be planned with tra
fc problems of the future in mind.
Our county roads, which bear heavy automobile af
fc samples All of them too They full
of dangers to pedestrians In the early part OF the night
many people walking their homes along these roads
They stick close the edges Of the roads, but neverhe
less in danger Many people have been killed injured on
An auot may be driving reasonable speed
with his lights turned low to obey the traffic rules From
the opposite direction comes automobilst with his head
lights turned their brightest binding the who is
obeying the law At that moment pedestrian may be on
the of be crashed into With roads
drivers nconsidrate of everybody else but them
selves there nightly dangers to large numbers of pedes
TRANS
when these county roads should be fitted
with sidewalks for pedestrians Many suburban streets
without sidewalks but they rule, much wider than
the old county roads, with marking to indicate where
the sidewalks will some day be built
The expenditure of good thousands Of dollars for
widening county roads, adding sidewalks to them is ncon-
sequental compared with the taking of human life and
frequent serious accidents
This traffic board in considering the problems before
it, should bring about rule that will require auto drivers
coming of blind streets public private grounds
into main artery Of travel to stop still before proceeding
In certain portions of the city there many of these blind
Nichols from Anacosa to Congress Heights
is fair sample There any number of blind streets
entering that important horoughre and accidents
have occurred result Three or four roadways enter
that thorougfare from St. Ezabeths Hospital for the In
may dash of any of these places right into
fastmoving going in the opposite direction.
It should be made serious ofense for driver of any
vehicle plunge into main artery of traffic from OBJ
scure side road street.
The engineer department of the District is the
proper department to study and report traffic problems
working conjunction with the legal and police departments
local The result may be the offering of
practical suggestions and the adoption practical ra
c rules The theorists who have been flooding District
officials with advice of little benefit except to compicate
conditions that already badly umbled.