Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-12-02
ADOPTION OF UNIFORM SIGNS, !.
BY MASSACHUSETTS HAILED
Department of Public Works Is Given
Right to Designate Through Way"
Routes on State Highways.

would be In designated places easily
seen and read; that black lettering on
some and red letters on others would N
itself add to making them easily dis
tinguiShable.
Commissioner Williams and his aseo-
ciateS do not expect to work miracles
through the new regulations. He points
out that there must be cooperation on
the part OF motorists and city and town
officials. That every lengthy thorough
fare should be declared q through way
Is out of the question, he believes.
Commissioner Williams states that
where there is not much trafflc on o sup
posed through way, and motorists find
time and again that they have stopped
only to note that there Is not o car in
sight in either direction, they decide TO
take chances.
After while they begin to disregard
the stop sign." he said. FINALLY its
use on that particular section goes into
the discard. BY failure to observe it
there it is but step to pay no attention
to the sign when coming to another
well travelled route. That creates real
hazard to all users Of the road. These
are the things that cause accidents.
In congeSted districts where there Is
slow movement of traffic, with many
street cars and commercial vehicles,
there Is no need for such signs"
The commissioner feels that in such
places the rights of drivers should be
adjusted either by the use of the gen.
eral right-of-way rule, or, if conditions
neceSsltate. by stop and go signals.
Brings DisObedience.
Nor should closely parallel streets be
made through routes, is his suggestion.
The continuous stopping of cross-sec-
ton traffic brings about disobedience to
the rule because drivers become irritated
at what they consider unnecessary de-
lays, he said.
City and town officials are advised to
be conservative in seeking to establish
through routes. 1t may be found that
after one has been routed that a mis-
take has been made, and that means q
lot OF unnecessary expense for signals
and markers plus educating a lot of
people all over again who have been
using the route.
It is not the intention of the State
authorities to order Scrapped all the
through way and the stop signs in use
throughout Massachusetts,. Bus notice
has been sent to all cities and towns
calling attention to the fact that all
such signs not approved by the Depart
ment of Public Works before next June
Will be illegal. Where variations from
the eStaDllShed standards are not great
the State officials will exercise every
reasonable liberality to approve the in
stallation. -.
Any cities or towns which have in
stalled systems since last June without
the approval of the Department of
Public Works will find they have made
a mistake If the signs are not similar
to those now going up, the commits
sioner warned. In passing the law the
Legislature specified that no signs or
signals should 60 UP after June 3 last
that were not approved. ~
No Right to "Hog" Read
Establishing Of q through way does
not mean that those travelling along
its course may think they have Q riei1t
to jump their speed" the commissioners
continued. There Il nothing In the
law to suggest such q right. Nor must
they infer that 1t gives them the right
to hog the through way and not AZ
low for reasonable trafdc to now into
1t from Intersections
In its bulletin the State calls atten-
ton to the fact that the through way
Continued on Seventh Pegs.5