Evening star., 1927-11-27
CITY WELL SUITED
FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC
Seattle Expert Compares
National Capital Favorab|y
With Other Places.

Washington is admirably suited to
tra ff1c," and the control system util-
lied in the National Capital is well
handled This is the opinion of j..
w. A. Bollong, street maintenance
engineer for Seattle, as expressed In
the current issue of Nations Traffic.
Mr.. Bollong. who has Just completed
a transatlantic tour of principal cities
for the purpose of gaining experience
which will he reflected in a plan to
be submitted for controlling Seattle
traffic, speaks as follows on his re-
action to Washington conditions:
washington, ! would say, has a
city plan which is admirably suited
to traffic. Even with the advent of
heavy traffic, the LEnfant plan still
holds good when other cities are being
rebuilt to meet the demands of con-
gestion.
Offer Mark Contrast.
1.-THE 15O.foot boulevards are in
sharp contrast to the 25-foot alley-like
streets in Philadelphia and Boston
and, naturally. allow for sufficient ca
pacity. Washington traffic is well
handled by efficient engineers who
have more authority than the usual
city traffic engineers by virtue of a
delegation Of power by Congress.
"Washingtonians believe they have
serious traffic problem, but what
ever prolems they have are not acute
because of the width and large num-
ber of diagonal boulevards radiating
from the congested center. The great
est problem in Washington is in prop.
erly controlling traffic when several Of
these diagonal boulevards intersect.' -
According to Mr.. Bollong, the ideal
traffic control system is to be found
in Cleveland, with Detroit not far
behind. Both cities, he points out,
maintain the progressive system of
signaling and Cleveland has the add.
ed advantage, he states, of an ex-
tensive co-ordinated method which al
lows for a steady flow of vehicles
without interference from bisecting
streams.
Chicago also has a platoon system
in the loop" district, and, Mr.. Bollong
reports, other cities are considering
it. In the opinion of this traffic engi-
neer, 'it is the best method Of signal
ling yet devised for traffic"
Discussing New York.
Discussing the situat ton in the
largest city in the county, Mr.. Bollong
says that 1.-THE congestion in New
York is unbelievable, as traffic has
an outlet only on the north and
south.
"On the east is the ocean and on
the west the island is bounded by the
Hudson River. The influx from the
Jersey tunnel under the Hudson is a
prime factor in increasing congestion.
Though there are ferries over the
river, people prefer the tubes and
| they are dumped off on the New York
side en- masse.
Gotham. however. is devising a
city plan which will adequately pro-
vide for congestion. as well as beautify
the city. A municipal parking area
also is included in the plans.
'From what l have seen, l believe
every city with a congestion problem
should establish municipally-owne
| parking spaces where cars may be
| parked at a charge sufficient to take
care Of the overhead. There are few
cities which have already provided
parking areas, and they are great
successes. In Grant Park at Chicago,
there is a space which can accommo-
date 5000 cars
"Parking areas constitute one of
! the solutions to the traffic congestion
| problem. Clearing the streets OF
vehicles not only allows for a greater
capacity for traffic, but also satisfies
| the downtown merchant"