Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-19
UNIFORM TR AFFIC REGULATIONS
SOUGHT FOR ALL u, S. CITIES
Trend Toward Standardization Furthered
As State Regulations Are Brought Into
Line-Aid to Tourists Is Aim.

individuals Afterward. on demand
they will be distributed In wholesale
quantities.
The ordinance was drawn UP by a
committee on municipal traffic ord1-
nances and regulations headed by Will
liam E. MetZger of Detroit and 1nclud~
ing about 100 representative members
from all parts of the country. They
were named by Secretary of Commerce
Hoover. who is still chairman Of the
permanent organization. Their tenta-
tive draft, completed last May, was sent
out for comment and amendment to
about 10000 persons, The committee
met again in Washington last month.
made the revisions and sent the final
draft to the presses, where they are
now issuing.
Some Of the specific articles of the
municipal ordinance should be Of ex
IRENE interest to the hundreds of thou
sands Of motorists who will be imme-
diately affected by their adoption. One
Of The first principles promulgated is
that speed limits shall be fixed by the
State and not by the municipalities.
Maximum speeds proposed are IS
miles in open country with certain
reasonable and proper" legal leeways
under special conditions of prudence. .
90 miles All hour in business districts
where traffic at intersections is con-
trolled by officers or stop-and-go sig
nails. Is miles an hour in business dis
tricts not so regulated and Is miles an
hour around curves, across a grade or
while passing schoolhouse during
recess.
Municipalities installing traffic con-
troll signals are urged to adopt the
three-color system; that is. green for
go" yellow for caution" and red for
stop" The so-called "split-amber"
system is recommended. whereby the
yellow follows the green but not the
red. on the theory that moving traffic
needs caution signal where automo-
biles at standStill do not
Standard Street Lights.
The American Engineering Council.
incidentally, has drawn up an elaborate
report on standardizing street signals
everywhere. a project the ordinance
makers did not undertake.
Many motorists would welcome the
enforcement of the proposed article
making propelling pushcarts bicycles
and animals on streets subject to motor
traffic rules; also the one which bans
persons on roller skates from the road
ways, except al intersections,
Motorists rights of way are carefully
defined, the vehicle on the right usually
having precedence. In the local ordi-
nance the State rule is modified so that
the vehicle reaching an intersection
first has the right of way
Pedestrians crossing a street on
marked or unmarked crosswalks at the
end of the block are given the right of
way over automobiles except where
traffic is controlled by police officers or
traffic signals.
Hitch mixers" are dealt hard blow
by the section which states that lit
shall be unlawful for any person to
stand in a roadway for the purpose of
soliciting ride from the operator of
any private vehicle"
All-night parking In the street is
prohibited. Brakes must be set and
engines stopped in cars left unattended.
1t is made unlawful for any person
riding bicycle, motor cycle, coaster,
sled or skates to cling to motor We
hicle or to street cars.
The foregoing are only a few of the
uniform municipal laws proposed In the
code. Some are already written into
the ordinances of many cities The
statute books will be substantially fat
tened by the adoption OF all of them.
fCcpyright, 1928, by North American News
paper Alliance