Evening star., 1928-02-19
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.
DIRECTOR HAIR

4 troll" Nor does he even
care to split hairs and invoke the
words pedestrian regulation -
All such terms and phrases are
strictly taboo in the traffic direc-
tors nomenclature of phrases
having to do with any sort of
supervision over where the pedes-
trian treadS or moves under his
own power. Something more than
two years ago the courts held
that regulation of the movements
Of pedestrians by statute is un-
constitutional and virtually i'm
possible of enforcement.
But pedestrians are being killed
In Washington nearly every week
because they are not regulated in
cny way and because Of lack Of
guiding facilities that will at
least lend to keep them out Of
the way Of automobiles. The
we'll known physical fact that an
automobile moves faster than a
man on foot needs no demonstra-
ton nor can it be controverted
that careless or indifferent pedeS-
triaNs cause more real traffic
trouble than the most fruitful
causes Of accidents between mo-
tor cars.
Working on Plan Now.
So the traffic director. steering
the ship of supervisory caution
clear of the shoals Of 'pedes-
trian control or pedestrian reg
ulation.' plans to accomplish all
these hateful words imply in quite
another way. Spurred to action
by recent fatal accident on one
O. the roadwayS surrounding Du-
pol?t Circle. Mr. Harland is work
ing with renewed haste on a plan
CT pedestrian control by electri-
cally operated lights which. if ap-
proved by the District Commits
SionerS. will be installed at Du-
pont Circle, and later at Thomas
Circle and Iowa Circle. In fair
ness to the traffic director. it
should be said that his scheme
for controlling the movement of
pedestrians was in process of evo-
luton for several weeks before
the fatal accident at the circle
where New Hampshire. Connecti-
cut and Massachusetts, avenues
intersect.
The roadway around Dupont
Circle averages As feet across.
Through il move automobiles in
a virtually endless stream at all
hours of the day. with the peak
reached in the rush hours Just
before 9 o'clock in the morning
and between 4 and $50 o'clock
in the afternoon. Around one
side of the circl- street cars
move. with and agains: the traf-
fc. For this latter reason. be-
cause Dupont Circle is unique in
that street cars move against
other vehicular traffic. and be-
cause Of its wide use at all hours
Of the day as a play place for
children and place of rest for
adults, Mr. Harland has chosen
Dupont Circle as an ideal place
for his initial pedestrian control
experiment.
Briefly, he plans to install sig
nal lights all around Dupont Cir
Gle, spaced to allow automobile
and street car traffic to move for
10 seconds in both directions
Then the lights will flash yellow
and red, and for Is seconds
pedestrians may move across the
roadways which incloSe the circle.
The yellow lights. under the plan
as it has been worked out SO far.
will remain lit for about S Sec
onds. giving time TO clear the
crosswalks Of all pedestrians. Mr..
Earland views the circles of the
city interSected by the avenues,
and particularly those handling
heavy traffic, such as Dupont
Circle, as traffic reservoirs. where
vehicu!ar traffic is centralized to
be shunted into the avenues or
streets which intersect. When
these circles are also breathing
places for pedestrians who must
move through a constant stream
Of traffic 10 get TO the oasis across
the street. Mr.. Earland believes,
some provision should be made
for their safety
Planned as Experiment.
In q minor sense ana not in the
ma 1or sense as they will be ap-
Piled al Dupont Circle. Mr.. Har-
land hopes TO get an indication Of
the way the Dupont Circle pedes-
TRAN lights will work. from the
traffic lights TO go along Rhode
Island avenue at Iowa Circle.
These lights will be primarily for
traffic control and are not in
tended 70 serve as aids TO pedes-
TRANS. However, they will fit
themselves for that purpose, Mr..
Eerland believes. II pedestrians
move with the traffic. and will
give definite indication Of the
value Of the proposed lights al
Dupont Circle.
Thomas Circle, where Massa-
chusetts Avenue crosses Four
teentn street. presents quite
different problem and one not
nearly 50 difficult Of solution as
that at the circle nearly five
blocks West Here street car
traffic moves with the stream Of
other VenlcUlar traffic and there
IS no oasis for playing children Or
adults seeking the cool Of tree
shaded PARK. 50 Thomas Circle
probably vii! be the last 10 have
lights installed around IL. since
here the problem Is a negligible
one
Inevitably involved IN the great
fcfene for construction Of
number q Government buildings
IN the triangle between Penn8yi-
Van!a avenue and p street, the
CAPITOL grounds and Fifteenth
street. is tie question of travel by
vehicles up and down the broad
tnprou2hfare leading from the
White House 70 the halis of Con
Rre6s Mr. Hariand has an idea
we'll worth serious consideration
along tne line u trafTic control IN