Evening star., 1925-09-17
MILLIONS ARE LOST
IN TRAFFIC DELAYS
Highway Body's Survey
Shows High Cost of Clumsy
Handling in Cities.

America pays $4,000, ,000, 900 a year
- per capita cost of $50 a year for
every individual in the nation-in loss
of life, accidents, loss of time through
congestion, deprecated real estate
valuations and in many other ways
through lack of properly developed
traffic facilities and their control.
These are the conclusions reached
by the committee on metropolitan IA
cilitieS of the national conference on
street and highway safety. The final
report of the committee will be pre-
sented to Secretary Hoover for trans
initial to the second conference to be
held during the coming Winter. Fred
erie A. Delano, president of the Ameri-
can Civic Association and a member
of the regional planning committee
for New York City, is chairman of the
committee.
Nearby Land Values Doubled.
Real estate values in Arlington
County, Va, and surrounding terri
tory have been enhanced as much as
100 per cent and more in some cases
by improved street and highway facil-
tiles, according to information given
to the committee. Steps taken to
bring about this result in nearby Vir-
ginia include authorization for the
construction of the Memorial Bridge
for highway development in nearby
territory.
Time lost at grade crossings came
In for condemnation by the commit
tee, which declared that during the
automobile races at Laurel during
July traffic was at a StandStill for
a distance of two miles because of
lowered gates at the HyattSville
grade crossing.
The money loss of about $500 900 900
in 1923 due to 22.600 fatal and 678,-
900 non-fatal street and highway ac-
cidents will be greatly exceeded by
the 1924 figures, the committee esti-
mated. The committee said. how
ever. that the loss due to accidents
is only a small portion Of the actual
economic loss due to inadequacy of
streets and highways to accommodate
automobile traffic.
Congestion Costly.
Data gathered in large number
of cities indicate clearly that a def.
mite money loss due to congestion and
other factors can be calculated with
some accuracy. Detailed traffic tallies
in Worcester, Mass, indicated that
congestion cost the city S35, 900 a day.
Cincinnati paid 100000 a day for
similar conditions, while in the loop
district of Chicago it was estimated
parking OIL cars Cost the community
100000 a day. The loss from con-
gestion in the New York City region
was fixed at about 81 900 900 a day. In
Philadelphia delays in operation of a
fleet of S63 taXicabs due to congestion
amounted to 9.5 per cent of the work.
ing time of the cabs-$2.50 per day
per vehicle.
AS a further instance Of cost to COM
munities, reports We're received as to
hac xyi1acr hrn fcy1 fy-c,f fh1Y
lice signal systems and other regula-
ton methods. From Chicago it was
reported that traffic control signal
system in the loop district might save
S17,500 and relieve half of the ITO po-
licemen now required there. Syracuse,
n. Y, it was reported, is now Install
ing a traffic control signal system
which, when completely will save $780,
600 a year. Reports are being received
from many cities in other parts of the
country regarding the installation of
such control systems and will be in.
corporated in the final report Of the
committee.
Left Turn Expensive.
Other factors in delays, according to
reports received by the committee, are
wrong turns, poor street name signs
and badly marked and maintained de-
tours. AS an instance. the abolition of
all turns in Woodward avenue, in the
downtown section of Detroit, has ma
terially reduced accidents and eXpe
dited traffic in Newark. N. J., before
the abolition of the left-hand turn at
Market and Broad streets, 10 per cent
of vehicles making the left-hand turn
caused 40 per cent of the delay ex-
perienced.
In addition to making a study of the
cost of inadequate traffic facilities, the
committee on metropolitan traffic IA
cilities will develop specific and prac-
tical schemes to meet present existing
conditions. In it's final report to the
National Conference on Street and
Highway Safety 1t will formulate gen.