Evening star., 1928-03-18
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

! private toll~road system would
be the Self-intereSt which 1t would
establish. building up a financial
group whose chief purpose would
be not only to build private roads,
but also to block the construction
of public highways where they
were most needed. Obviously If 1t
is going to be possible to make the
public pay on every highway
which 1t travels, there will be at
tcmptS to grab off those streets
and highways which the pro-
moterS would expect to be most
profitable.
There are times when the State
or city cannot afford immediately
to finance a bridge construction
out of current funds. In these
cases a toll can be charged until
expenditure for the bridge has
been paid for. All toll bridges
should be constructed. owned and
administered by the State. AT
present there is an organized
move for the private construction
Of toll bridges. This private con-
Struction is dangerous. and should
be avoided wherever possible. In
any circumstances it should be
provided that the bridge should
ultimately revu.t to the public
All financial operations, as we'll
as the administration of the
bridge. should be under the con.
troll of the State.
There were 2S3 toll bridges in
operation in the United States at
the beginning of 1928. according
to a recent report of the United
States Bureau of Public Roads.
Of these only 42 are owned by the
States or other political divisions,
and the remaining 19l were pri-
vately owned. Twenty-nine new
toll bridges are now under con-
struction. of which 90 are private
ly owned. Another 1853 are pro-
posed for construction. of which
100 would be built by private capi-
tai
This move toward toll bridges
should be blocked before it goes
further. Every citizen should write
to his Congressman asking him
to vote against toll roads and toll
bridges. never permitting the for
mer and allowing the latter only
under the most strict supervision.
Unless we are careful the national
highway system. which has been
the proud boast of the American
Nation, may soon be nothing but
a series Of tollgates."
Mr.. Reeves stand as we'll as
that of others in opposing tolls.
is we'll taken. It is to be hoped
that concerted action along this
line will bring the desired result.
Sign Believers.
There seems to be a class of
motorists that do not believe in
signs. Evidence of this apparent
fact can be noted on the streets
every day. To some the stop"
sign means slow down. To many
the sign Slow" means to con-
tinue along at high rate of
speed. mo Left. Turn" means go
and make one TO many motorists.
And as for the traffic lights, the
yellow one has no significance at
all
Il is not likely that the violators
Of these regulations are unable to
read. The truth is probably that
they think the signs apply to
every one but themselves. This is.
Of course, not at all so. and every
motorist BY obeying these signs
will be doing his part in making
the city a little safer.
Director Harland a short time
ago stated that he had in mind
placing a traffic light at the inter-
section of Wisconsin and Massa-
chuSetts avenues. The interSec-
ton is much travelled, and light
there would be very helpful. At
present a policeman aids traffic
there at certain hours, but it
would appear better to have him
stationed there at longer periods
while the traffic signal is under
way.
The placing of caution signs on
both sides of the site where the
British embassy will be erected is
a very wise plan, and one THAI
will prevent many accidents while
the large trucks are forced TO go
in and out,