The Washington times., 1925-05-27
| With the
|Aibi Artists
Ia Cross Section of the
| Daily Grind in Judge
Schuldt's Court.
Read EN- and Weep
xOr,CAV
By DONALD McDOUGAL.
Traffic Lights and Taxes.

Most everybody seems to think
that Sixteenth street from H to
u is the proper locality for try
ing out the automatic signal
lights, and we're wondering why.
Sixteenth street as it is, with
out signal lights, is the best
fixed street in Washington for
handling traffic. Doesn't it look
like better economy to speed up
and safen up Reader, meet the
new verbl-safen up traffic on
more congested streets-and side
walks-first?
What are the traffic difficulties
on Sixteenth street that the in
stallation of signal lights will re-
move? What Information can be
gained by experimenting with this
unique thoroughfare that will be
useful on Fourteenth or F, say,
where the conditions are entirely
different?
There's lots of wagons going UP
and down Sixteenth street around
office hurry time, and that's no
sales talk. But they're all one
kind. and there isn't as much
pedestrian traffic as there Is
further in town.
Well Fixed.
And through the whole six or
seven miles of its length Six
teenth street encounters only two
car lines. And it's wide enough
for all it's traffic. and with some
to. spare. And u street is about
the only, heavy traffic stream
that crosses it. And it's one Of
the best lighted streets in the
city.
Few accidents happen on Six
teenth street that aren't the result
of pure accident. Most Of the
cases we ever heard Of carried
strong odor of gin. And traffic
lights aren't going to help these
people any.
But Fourteenth street is differ
ent, and more like general comm
tions in Washington.
Whatever information can be
gained by studying the effect of
lights there, will be Of more prac-
Pennsylvania avenue to y street
would be speeded up, and the
cross-wallSs made a good deal SAT-
er. by some kind of control along
there.
There aren't as many vehicles
in Fourteenth street as there are
on Sixteenth, but Fourteenth
street is narrower, and the car
tracks occupy lot Of space. And
there's probably more pedestrians
crossing Fourteenth street be-
tween the Avenue and H in cne
hour than there is in an equal
length OF Sixteenth street all
day long.
Besides crossing such heavy
streams Of continuous motor traf-
fic as Pennsylvania avenue, F.
G, New York avenue, III and u
streets, there's six car lines to
watch out for. 1t certainly looks
as though the taxpayers would
get their moneys worth out of
signal lights along. Fourteenth
street.
A Busy Street.
A good many tons of merchan-
disc are hauled through there,
and hauling costs money. 1t
costs by the minute. Shortening
the time of haul means a rebate
to the taxpayer. What can
Sixteenth street show in this re.
spect? Wherever you go in
Washington, as motorist, pedes.
trian or strap-hanger, you drift
into Fourteenth street before you
get home. More people are
served by Fourteenth street IN
one way or another than by
Sixteenth. Spending the tax
money on Fourteenth street is
the more democratic use of it.
The three light system, such as
the director has indorsed, offers
the greatest safety for pedestrians,
according to the records of cities