Evening star., 1928-11-17
NEW SIGNAL LIGHTS
HIT BY INSPECTOR
Rhode Island Avenue install
Iation Changes Are Advo-
Gated by Brown.

The installation of trafic lights on
Rhode Island avenue, as now operating,
has been condemned as unsatisfactory
and liable to cause accidents" by In
spector E. e. Brown of the Traffic
Bureau, and Inspector William S.
Shelby of the Police Department, and
drastic changes in the system are rec
commended.
The recommendation include aban-
doning or removing II of the lights,
creation of one-way streets where four
east and west bound streets intersect
Rhode Island avenue and replacing OF
stop" signs at the intersections OF O.
r, S and T streets.
The recommendations were made in
writing today to Maj. Edwin B. Hesse,
superintendent of the Police Depart
ment, and he will take them up. with
Commissioner Proctor L. Dougherty,
who has supervision over the police
and traffic departments.
Made Careful Check-Up.
"Since these lights were put in opera
tion." INSPECTOR Brown wrote, Il have
very carefully observed the traffic condi-
tions at the several intersections or
Rhode Island avenue and find that
the traffic light signal control installed
on Rhode Island avenue at the inter
sections of @, r, S and T streets does
not work satisfactorily and is very con-
fusing to motorists and liable to cause
accidents.
1T is my opinion that to properly
and safely regulate traffic at these foul
intersections it will be necessary to put
into effect one of the two following sug-
gestions. First suggestion:
Make @ street from Rhode Islanc
avenue to Tenth street one way west
bound; @ street from Rhode Island ave-
nue. to Ninth street one way eaStbound
and prohibit the left-hand turn north
bound on Columbia street into q street
Make r street from Rhode Tslans
avenue to Seventh street one wa,
westbound; make r street from Rhode
Island avenue to Sixth street one wal
eastbound; make S street from Rhode
Island avenue to New Jersey avenue
one way westbound; make T street
from Rhode Island avenue to Second
street one way westbound; make I
StLCCt 1IOIIl E6llOQc lSIdIIu dNCI1QC u
First street one way eaStbound.
His Second Suggestion.
Second suggestion: If the first sug-
gestion as to 'one-way' streets Is not
deemed feasible, then control the traffic
entering or crossing Rhode Island ave.
nue. at @, r, S and T streets with stop
signs If the latter is considered ad-
visable this would give Rhode Island
avenue traffic the right of way over
traffic entering from these streets and
would be similar to the traffic control
now in effect on Sixteenth street and
o, Church, Corcoran, Swan, Fuller and
other short streets intersecting along
the line of Sixteenth street and which
has worked out very satisfactorily.
Either of the two suggestions, il
put into effect, would eliminate the foul
traffic lights at the intersection of
street, four traffic lights at the inter.
section of r street. one traffic light al
the intersection of Sixth and r streets
one traffic light at the intersection OF
Florida avenue and Rhode Island ave-
nue. that was placed to control S street
traffic. and two traffic lights at T street;
approximately IL lights"
Shelby Backs Brown.
In indorsing the suggestion of In
spector Brown, Inspector Shelby wrote
Pursuant to your instructions, have
carefully observed the movement of
traffic on Rhode Island avenue since
the installation of the lights, conf1ning
my observations especially to points
where @ street, r street, street and T
street intersect Rhode Island avenue,
and I am convinced that the system
is most unsatisfactory at these points,
Is most confusing to motorists and its
continuation will inevitably result in
many serious accidents.
In the interests of public safety, !
earnestly recommend the adoption of
the first suggestion contained in the
report of Inspector Brown, and I fur
ther recommend that 1t be established
and adopted as policy that whenever
traffic lights are installed on avenues
where streets intersect such avenues
under similar conditions, such inter-
secting streets be made one-way streets
one square back from the avenue upon
which the lights are installed"