Evening star., 1926-01-31
OFFERS SOLUTION
FOR TRAFFIC ILLS
Auto Company Head Would
Make Pedestrian Follow
Regulations.

Some way must be found to get into
the public consciousness that traffic
regulations are not only for the regu-
lation of vehicular traffic, but also for
the guidance and safety Of the pedeS-
trian.
Traffic regulations must govern the
movements of pedestrians as we'll as
motorists
Steps must be taken to make it as
difficult as humanity possible for the
pedestrian to get hurt.
These are opinions of Walter i.
Chrysler, president of the Chrysler
Corporation. who for several years has
studied traffic problems in this coun-
try and Europe.
1T is the failure to observe traffic
regulations that is such a common
cause of accidents" said Mr.. Chrysler
When a mctoriSt fails to obey a tI-af
fic signal whether given by a police
officer or by an automatic device. he
runs afoul of the law. But the pedes-
trian is permitted to take chances
He will insist upon dar-ting in and
out among moving vehicles.
Pedestrian Regulated.
''In number of cities ordinances
have been passed making ii an offenSe
TO run counter to traffic signals,
whether motorist or pedestrian. When
the signal instruCts the motor1st TO
go he must go, and the pedestrian
should remain on the sidewalk. These
particular cities require the pedestrian
to keep back so he may be kept out
of danger and SO that motor cars for
the moment may have an unobStruct-
ed way.
Traffic problems are becoming
more numerous and more perpleXtng.
but two things are needed to solve
many of them. These two things are
imagination and common sense. For
example:
'There is a certain street in New
York which is used a great deal by
taxicabS and private motor cars GO
ing to n certain railway terminal.
That particular street must be used
because traffic regulations on parallel
streets do not permit of left-hand
turns. And that street is one of the
most congested streets in New York.
And it IS not congeSted with cars.
but instead with trucks loading and
unloading.
Nov the time will come when de-
partment store loading and unloading
will be done underground and the
streets kept clear for through NOV
ing vehicles. Centralized control of
distribution of retail merchandise is
bound to come.
Would Revise Parking.
Parking on through streets should
not be permitted. The side streets
should be used for parking and the
through streets kept clear.
Steps must be taken. too. for the
elimination of left turns as much as
possible.
And right here l should like TO
plead for greater consideration of the
-ifyl <,ftl ln t,ia, pe1a ST,-il ne.
should be allowed to cross streets
before cars are permitted to make
turns through the line of walk of
pedestrians. Then. too. electric sig
nails should be so placed that motor
cars can keep back of line Of march
OF pedestrians and still see signals.
Pedestrians are always irritated. and
rightfully 50. when a car stops di-
rectly in the line of march.
The motor industry has progressed
so rapidly that city planning and city
building and rebuilding has not been
able to keep abreast of the progress
made in developing means of indi-
vidual motor transportation. That
NAV be one of the reasons why 50
city building today. Right here in
New York skyscrapers are being
erected where small buildings stood
before and yet the same streets are
being used Why wouldn't it have
been possible to set buildings back
10 feet so that streets could be wild.
ened? 1t is physically impossible to
Jam only so many people into a street.
Increase the number of people and
there is hut one thing to dU-Widen
the street.
Streets Can BE Saturated.
THE automotiv, industry has more
to fear II street and highway
saturation than from economic satura.
ton.
But the American people are not
going to be stopped by any traffic
problem, because traffic difficulties are
not insurmountable. What is needed
! repeat, is an abundance of imagina
ton.
"A city like New York, which has
the greatest transportation systems in
the world-subways, surface lines
elevated trains, motor bus lines, taxi
cabs, tunnels under rivers. even a
vehicular tunnel beneath the Hudson
Is being constructed-Won't be stop
ped by any traffic problem. But some
of the obvious things should be given
attention at once.
"A good start would be a campaign
of public education to get the pedeS
trian to observe traffic regulations for