Evening star., 1926-01-06
TRAFFIC CONTROL
LIGHTS TIMING is
CHANGED BY TRIAL
Continued from First PageD

Continued from First Page)
ing east and west on Massachusetts,
and Rhode Island avenue. large de-
tail OF policemen was scattered around
the circle to straighten out difficulties
that might arise. They were told to
direct Sixteenth street traffic through
the inner lane Of the circle. but. not
knowing in advance whether a driver
wanted to go on mp Sixteenth street
or turn right into one OF the avenues.
they found themselves tsngling things
up in a most discouraging fashion.
The motorist who did not want to
60 further up Sixteenth street stopped
to explain his real desires. and mean
while the cars would pile up behind
him for nearly block. The expla ma
tions were repeated by succeeding
motorists OF similar intentions, and
meanwhile the signals blinked away
right merrily. Maybe when the halted
car finally got ready to start again
the driver found the red signal set
against him.
Then, again. the policemen stationed
on the intersecting avenues could not
clearly see what the Sixteenth street
signals were saying. and frequently
it developed that they started feeding
the cross traffic into the circle at the
| wrong time. or halted it when it
should have gone ahead.
Difficulties End Seen.
Director Eldridge confidently ex-
poets these difficulties to end when
the avenue signals are put into opera
ton. probably tomorrow night A
force of workmen was making every
effort to complete the installation by
tomorrow night. II was stated.
The motorist who expected the new
froH Hr IA,
disappointed last evening. Traffic
oficials refused today to make anv
claims to that effect at all. BY actual
| test. conducted by The Star at <
o'clock yesterday afternoon. it took
keXactly Is and a fraction minutes for
an automobile TO proceed north from
II street to Florida avenue. The dis
tance Is a little more than a mile
In no instance was the car able to
| traverse more thai two blocks before
meeting stop signal. At times the
congestion was SO great that trafiic
virtually came to a standstin, and the
! distance covered between changing
! signals was scarcely more than half
! block.
/ Congestion Unusual.
I Col. I. c. Molier of Director Ed
ridges office pointed out today that
| the rush hour Of last evening was un-
, usually severe. The ordinary con-
! gestion resulting from the sudden dis
! gorging at 4:30 Of Government en-
ployes was aggravated by the con-
verging Of hundreds Of motorists who
! were just curious to try ont the new
lights Col. Moller estima ted that more
| than $4,000 automobiles jammed Six
! teenth street during the height Of the
congestion. He does not believe such a
condition will arise under ordinary
movement of rush hour traffic.
| Col. Moller AYERS that at $50 O'Clock
last night he drove his car from II
! street to Florida avenue in six min
utes. He insisted he did this on Six
| teenth street. He declares when all
motorists learn how to use the signals
| properly they should be able to do
| almost as well. He expressed keen
! surprise that 1t should have taken
The Star machine anything like is
minutes to do the same distance. and
characterized 1t az most unusual. 1t
remains fact, however. that The
/ Star car was but chip in the great
log jam Of trafic. portions Of which
were not making so much headway
as The Stars automobile.
Theoretically. as Col. Moller points
| out the motorist en Sixteenth street
! should be able to cover several