Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
TUBES
REDUCE ACCIDENTS
Los Angeles Builds 33-Foot
Tunnels, With Other Git
les Adopting Plan.

Pedestrian tunnels. needed refugees
for foot traffic in the motor era, are
claiming the attention of street
builders everywhere in the seige on
automobile accidents.
Experimental tunnels built hy va
rious cities have proven so successful
that plans are being made for the
construction of more of them, espe-
cially in large communities where
schoolchild fatalities are more likely
to occur. Los Angeles has Just com
pleted the 33d of 40 tunnels provided
for by special bond issue.
Traffic counts taken at busy street
intersections throughout the country
reveal that an astounding number of
people pass during a 12-hour period
In some cities from 100 900 10 500 900
pedestrians, automobile and street car
passengers may crowd by. Vito all
this interchange of human beings it
has been Impossible, 50 far, for cities
to eliminate the accident hazard
The situation is so complex that prob
ably no one remedy can establish a
complete cure. Consequently all con
veniences such as the pedestrian tun-
mel that tend 10 remove foot traffic
from the path of moving vehicles are
being given full consideration by
progressive communities
Drives Accomplish Little.
No-accident drives consisting main
~ Of publicity have accomplished very
little in reducing motor mishaps. In
Chicago a drive sanely' campaign
was recently conducted for period of
one week. During this week accidents
held their own and a day later eight
deaths were chalked up in 24-hour
period. A National Safety Council
worker has declared that usually no.
accident campaigns consisting mainly
of publicity are followed by periods of
increased fatalities and injuries.
Human frailty reliably estimated TO
account for more than nine-tenths Of
all automobile accidents, apparently
cannot be cajoled into proper conduct
in the operation Of motor vehicles. Pc.
lice blotter reports show that the APP
peal to reason has not been sufficient
situation giving rise TO the deduc
ton that rigid traffic regulation and
the construction of foolproof facilities
constitute the best protection.
Seven thousand school children were
killed last year by automobiles and
many thousand more were injured.
Twice as many are killed between the
So for the most part. accidents occur
among youngsters who have just be
come their own masters on the street
The largest number Of Sccidents
happen betweer the hours of and
s, when thousands of weary wage
earners are on their way home from
work. At this hour drivers and pedes-
TRANS are not as alert mentally as
they are earlier in the day In this
hurry and confusion accidents are
born
Street Plans Must Change.
With these things in mind. traffic
students declare that the physique of
| the street must he changed to meet
the stiff requirements of the countless
cars and feet that travel over it. In
some instances cities have found il
! more advisable 10 spend available
funds on street widening than on such
facilities as pedestrian tunnels. How
ever, in the final reckoning some pro.
vision must be made for crossing the
| busy street with safety and less loss
| of time. To do this is going to cost
| money hut the provision Of permanent
! time and money saving Improvements,
| especially those that have to do with
| the saving of lives, is cardinal duty
! of the city.
Traffic problems are in nowise con
! fined 10 large cities. Highland Park
| Michigan, population $4,000. expert
mented with a pedestrian tunnel under
q busy thoroughfare near one of its
| large schools. The subway, built at
cost Of $500. eliminated the need for
traffic officer at this point so that
| his services were used elsewhere to
! good advantage. The first tunnel
served so well that another subway