Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-02-18
Electric Railways
Phased By Big
Traffic Congestion

Washington, Feb. II GA. fla
call to the 100000 daily electric
railway riders of the United States
to rise up and demand traffic con-
gestion relief was sounded today py
J. n. Shannahan, president OF the
American Electric Railway Associa-
ton. Addressing his organization IN
convention here, he declared failure
to limit and prohibit parking, and
to restrt traffic to certain chan
nels, was playing havoc with electric
railway and bus schedules. Four
ffths of all persons who ride are
patrons of electric railway company
owned cars or buses, and practically
all OF them are being delayed by
small minority of riders In othef
vehicles, he insisted.
Mr.. Shannahan explained that he
was not seeking to array persons not
owning motor cars against owners.
Many car riders are motor owners
who beset by traffic congestion
troubles, are using electric cars and
buses.
Traffic congestion is unspeak-
able" he declared. DESPITE the best
efforts OF local transportation COM
pGnies to provide service. 1t is
virtually impossible nowadays, by
reason of traffic congestion, to main
tain any respectable schedules in
our city streets. The average run
ming time of an electric car or bus
should be from 10 to II miles an
hour, and yet in some cities it is i'm
| possible. in the downtown sections,
| to move at greater rate of speed
| than two miles an hour in any sort
of vehicle. '.
1.-THE majority does not rule in the
| case of traffic congestion. Often
| times one person in a single vehicle
| will get in front of a car and delay
| the track. Again. an unoccup1ed
vehicle will be parked in such a
! position that it will stop or slow up
I a vehicle containing so persons.
THE traffic problem is not impos-
! sible of solution, though it admitted
ly is difficult. For example, there
| are two major steps which, if taken,
would aid very much.
| First: Cease using the streets
| for storage. They were built to be
| used as passageways, and not as
garages. Some people will Of course.
resent not being permitted to store
their cars all day long in the streets.
| but do not forget that when you Of
fend one person by enforcing a no
| parking regulation, YOU please
several hundred others whose ride
has been accelerated by it. :.
Second: Cnscrsmble traffic.
Establish regular lanes of travel for
the separate lines of traffic and COM
pei the different conveyances to stick
to their lanes. Let the street car
run unimpeded on its rails and make
it a misdemeanor. as has been done
in Cleveland and Philadelphia. for
any vehicle to get in front of it. Give
buses and passenger automobiles the
right of way on certain streets or
parts of stects. Set aside certain
streets for trucks and other heavy
vehicles. We do not so much need
rev streets as the complete use of
those we now have"
MIR. Shannahan announced also
that in cooperation with Secretary
Hoovers accident prevention move
ment, the electric railway industry
is starting nationwide advertis-
ing poster campaign. He said that
accidents to passengers on cars were
being reduced, but that accidents
due to other vehicles striking cleo
trio cars and alighting passengers
were increasing.