Evening star., 1928-11-18
-6~IE placing in operation last
| week of 103 new electric
| traffic signals had the af-


week of 103 new electric
traffic signals had the af-
feet of impreSsing on Wash
ington motorists the extensiveness
of the Traffic Departments pro-
jected program of automatic traf :
fic control. In few months there
will be a vast network of lights
blinking red. amber and green
throughout the congeSted zone,
along the leading arteries Of
travel beyond and even at the
important crossroads in the out
lying sections.
Formulation of the program was
slow and somewhat distressing,
perhaps. to William H. Harland,
traffic director, who looks upon
the extension of the automatic
signal system as the greatest aid
to traffic control and accident
prevention. Now that the lights
are actually being installed at a
rapid rate, little time will be lost
in the complete execution Of the
program.
The largest portion of the lights
turned on last week are located
along Rhode Island avenue from
First street to- Twelfth street,
where they form a connecting
link with the old system of lights
on Rhode Island avenue from
Fourteenth to Seventeenth streets
The entire stretch between Seven
teentf street east to First street
on Rhode Island avenue is now
automatically controlled.
63 New Signals.
There are So signals in the new
extension, and they are SO timed
that q motorist travelling at an
average speed of 20 miles an hour
can proceed through the stretch
without being stopped While
these lights solved one problem,
they unexpectedly created an
other. This developed after the
removal of the boulevard stop
signs at certain of the interSect-
ing streets, with the result that
traffic on them can pass into a
stream of moving vehicles on
Rhode Island avenue.
Traffic officials realize that a
bad situation has been brought
about by the removal of these
signs, and they likely will be re-
placed. Otherwise the conditions
on Rhode Island avenue are said
to be highly satisfactory.
The remaining 40 signals placed
in operation are located at iSolac-
ed intersections, where, in most
instances, they relieved traffic Of
f1cers who directed traffic with
hand-controlled Semaphores. A
group of these independent lights
are on Fourteenth street, south OF
B street. where they serve to con-
troll traffic going to and from
Highway Bridge. The others are
at Eighth and H streets northeast,
Eighth and East Capitol streets.
Eleventh street and Pennsylvania
avenue southeast Good Hope road
and Nichols avenue southeast.
New York and New Jersey avenues
and New Jersey avenue and H
street.
Potomac Electric Power Co.
worknen are now installing inde-
pendent signals at a number OF
other isolated intersections, and
they likely will be put in operation
this week. These lights are to be
at Connecticut avenue, Cathedral
avenue and Calvert street, which
is undoubtedly one Of the most
congested intersections outside of
the business area; Wisconsin ave-
rue and Macomb street and Wis
conSin avenue and M street.
Business Section Next.
Aside from these lights, the pro-
gram calls for elaborate inStalla-
tions in the business section, and
these are to be undertaken in the
near future. The most important
of these are Thirteenth street
from z street to Massachusetts,
avenue, Tenth street from E street
to Massachusetts, avenue, Seventh
street from D to K street, Sixth
street from D street to Rhode
Island avenue. g street from Sixth
to Fourteenth street. z street
from Thirteenth to North Capitol
street, Eighteenth street from Fl
street to Massachusetts, avenue
and K street from Eighteenth
street to Florida avenue northeast.
After getting the comprehensive
light-control program well under
way Mr.. Harland started to de-
sign a special lighting system for
Dupont and Iowa Circles, for
r,laicta an onnrnnria finn is avail