Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
POINTS OUT WAYS TO MAKE
ROADS INCREASINGLY SAFE
Roy ID. Chaplin of National Chamber of Commerce
Outlines Means to Relieve Congestion on High
ways and Help Motorists.

this was in the constant interference
of cross currents of traffic and other
obstacles
I'm a light movement, this inter
ference would not be serious, but when
the delays of a heavy travel are
reckoned, together with the fact that
travel may be actually limited because
of this restriction of facilities. the
! problem becomes one of immediate
civic Importance.
In such cases, then, we have to
consider whether the time is not here
when it is no longer feasible from the
! standpoint of public interest in ade
| quate transportation facilities to con-
tent ourselves with roads at grade.
Has not the time come when in
order to keep the traffic moving land
| that is the hub of the whole question:
| trunk roads must be constructed with
out grade intersections which will per
NIT of constant and a safe use of all
| of the lanes of traffic provided for by
the builder?
''In this way and only in this way
can these main trunk roads be dedi
Gated to the uses of traffic rather
| than for storage uses which is the
actual result of obtruding obstacles
into the lane whether they be moving
| VI III character.
Scientific Lighting Control.
! Pending these changes, which are
only necessary as l have pointed out
| in cases of heavy movement, where
| fortunately they will pay for them
selves in the saving SO effected, the
| subject of regulation is one which re
| qulres a careful analysis, first in the
interest of safety and second to pro-
mote the flow of traffic, two things, by
| the way, which usually go hand in
hand.
Lighting control is now In evidence
| IN most if not all of our cities. The
effects of this control in damming the
| now or traffic are of as much impor-
| lance as their effect in sorting out the
movement. Control cannot be so
rigid as to simply serve as a traffic
barrier. 1t must permit of the most
economic use of the highway if it is
to be effective. The subject is one
deserving of close study.
Finally, with respect to our rural
movement, there is evidence on all
sides of a. closer relationship between
| the different forms of transportation
and of rapidly growing use of the
motor vehicle as an agency in distri-
| button both by the farmer and the
city user.
For Tertiary System.
Back of our main Federal and
State highway systems there lie the
secondary and tertiary systems which
are far greater in mileage than the
heavier roads, although they carry a
much smaller movement both in
volume and density
In the main these roads will not
require anything like the degree of
improvement essential to the back
bone system, but there is q constant
necessity for their repair and upkeep
and even for further improvement.
Work goes on apace in bringing
these highways into service as it does
on the main system, but the task is
not so centralized and constantly there
rs greater variation in the efficiency
and in the methods used.
The public moneys involved in this
task are large and consequently there
is need for a constant examination
into the present-day administration,
its procedure and the result obtained
in the public interest
Like the other phases of our road
problem, this one is gradually being
met, and it can be conservatively
stated that everywhere our road ad-
ministrators are meeting these ques.
tons honestly and vigorously and
with very real results"