Evening star., 1925-01-11
BY THEODORE r. MOVES.
Staff Core spondent of The Star.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, January 10
Having reached the conclusion that
congestion and not speed was re-
sponsible for traffic accidents. Cleve-
land today swept its streets clean OF
parked automobiles during the rush
and inaugurated Its 1925 traffic policy.
Determined to end the tangle Of au-
tomobiles and pedest rianS in the
downtown sections, and following
recomm endations laid down by the
Cleveland Automobile Club, the city
has abolished parking on the main
thoroughfares during the peak"
period OF traffic, and policemen have
been instructed to keep automobiles
moving at the maximum legal speed,
l6 miles an hour in the downtown
districts, and Is miles an hour on the
boulevard stop streets.
In line with this policy, the loaf
err and the road hog will be re-
quired to use side streets If they do
not keep up with the procession.
Cleveland's problem Is somewhat
the same as that prevailing in Wash
ington, but there Is no similarity in
the way that the two cities are meet
ing 1t.
Cleveland has decided that it needs
100 additional policemen. The city
council promptly voted for the in
crease. Cleveland has been troubled
with inadequate street lights. a fruit
| full source of accidents. Flood lights
are now being installed on dark in
| tersections. Cleveland has suffered
from false economy in dealing with
| traffic matters. A two-year program,
with an expenditure Of 100000, is
expected to be voted by the council
| for semaphores, policemen's salaries,
| traffic towers, painting Of streets and
| equipment.
Conclusions of Experts.
When DR.. John A. Harriss of New
York CITY, the originator Of the Fifth
| avenue traffic tower system, told the
| joint committee of the House and
| Senate District committees that an
attitude Of liberality should be
adopted by Congress toward Wash
| ington's traffic condition, he was tell
| ing them exactly the conclusion
| reached by students of traffic in al
parts of the country.
Proper street lighting, an adequate
police force and an adequately equip
| ped police force bear the same rela-
! tion to Washington that they do TO
Cleveland. Cleveland has realized the
truth and Is now proceeding to carry
| them out.
| The Cleveland Automobile Club, one
| of the Invest organizations in the
| nationwide chain of the American
Automobile Association, with mem
| bership OF $4,000, has, in cooperation
with Traffic Commissioner z. J. Dona-
| hue, made an exhaustive survey OF the
| city. This report was published on
December 20, and already steps have
been taken to carry out It's main pro-
| visions:
"It is time to get down to brass
| tacks," says the report, Gin dealing
| with traffic. The economic loss of al
| least $23,000,000 per year must be
stopped. A niggardly policy that
| would sacrifice saving of tens OF
| millions of dollars annually for fail
| ure to spend a few hundred thousands
| in traffic reform is not worthy of a
! community that boasts the civic pride
that Cleveland does. 1t is time for
! public sentiment to come out of its
| sleep. The job that confronts the city
| is setting traffic conditions ahead al
| least 10 years to make up for the
years of neglect in the past.
| Primary Causes.
THE traffic commissioner and the
| club officials have agreed that the
| five primary causes of accidents are:
| Congestion, including congestion be-
| cause of narrow, inadequate streets,
| poor lighting, lack of sufficient high
| speed through routes from the center
| of the city to the outlaying sections
| and the heavy increase in the number
| of motor vehicles.
| "Jay-walking.
Lack of adequate traffic police and
| mechanical traffic control.
| Careless, reckless and inexperi.
enced driving.
| "Spe eding."
This report may be taken in its
| entirety and presented as the remedy
for many of Washington's problems
1t might just as we'll have been com
piled by $4,000 Washington motorists
| as $4,000 Cleveland motorists The
| report continues:
"An immediate addition to the
police force of approximately lot
| traffic patrolmen and officers, with
provisions for their thorough train
ing as experts in traffic control"
With the new men already provided
for in less than a month after the
recommendation was made, it is evi.
| dent that Cleveland is attacking the
problem in a whole-hearted manner.
| Additions to the mechanical de.