Evening star., 1925-04-03
PARKING V|OLATORS'
FACE POLICE DR|VE|
Congestion Downtown to Be
Attacked Under New Reg
uIations in May.

The police will take whatever steps
are necessary to stop aN-day parking OF
vehicles in the congested area as soon as
the new traffic law is in full force next
month, Director of Traffic E'dridEe de-
clared today.
At the same time the director an
nounced that he was looking into the
possibility of finding Government lana
south of Pennsylvania avenue on which
all-day parking could be provided, He
said there are some temporary Govern
ment buildings south of the avenue, and
that 1t might be possible to convert the
sites into parking spaces when the
structures are removed.
The present one-hour parking limit in
the Congested section probably will be
retained in the new regulations, Mr..
Eldridge said.
Parking Great Problem.
Parking the director said, lis one
or the most important traffic problems
we have to deal with. And IL is abso-
lutely necessary that all-day parking on
downtown streets be stopped If people
are to be able TO come downtown to
transact business
The director expressed the belief
that one hour is ample time for the
average person TO leave a car in one
place while making purchase OF
transacting other business He point
ed out that there is large area OF
streets just north of the consested
section in which motorists could leave
their machines all day by taking a
hve-mlnute walk TO the Office.
Mr.. Eldridse said he would like to
see parking garages developed In the
down town section, as has been done
in other cities. The director doubts
the wisdom of advocating under
ground parking places al this time
He said the accumuiat tion of monoxide
gas in such underground structures
necessitates installation of elaborate
Eentiiating apparatus.
Blow at Farfcitures.
As has been previously stated in
The Star, Director Eldridge is plan
ming to eliminate the practice of for
feiting collateral when arrested on
major traffic violations The direc-
tors office also is inclined to discour-
age the forfeiting of collateral even
In lesser infractions of the trafric
rules. Doing away with collateral
forfeiture in serious cases. Mr. Ell
bridge said, was provided for by Con-
Eress in the framing of the new law.
'ol. l. {. Moller, engineer of the
trafhc once, is in conference today
with Boy Scout officials to have the
boys assist him in taking traffic
counts, beginning April IL. Col. Mol
Ter plans to take counts of the iow
OF traffic at 16o points, both down
town and in outlying sections. The
object is to chart off on a map the
lanes through which the traffic natur-
ally flows to the center of the city.
Three maps will be made, one show
ing the fow downtown in the morn
Ing. another showing the outward
stream in the evening and the third
showing the average volume of traf-
fic throughout the day.
Plans for Arteries.
Although new traffic rules will be
ready for PRONUNCIATION early in May,
Col. Molier said today II would not
be possible or advisable to establish
all of the arterial and express high
ways Immediately.
There is no use in calling a thor
nushfsre an arterial highway" said
Col. Moller, until you have the nee
essary markers In place and other
plans ready to make the system ef-
fective."
The plan is to put one or two of
the highways into effect soon and
let the others follow as rapidly as
arrangements can he made.
Mr.. Eldridge conferred at luncheon
yesterday with the four judges Of
Police Court, at which questions of
procedure in the expeditions handling
OF traf1ic cases was discussed.