Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-12
nv THOMAS !. KEEFE.
len. Msr.. American Motorists Assn,

I aN'HtFaANtN
Traffic in Washington, as everywhere
else, is constantly increasing problem
affecting all classes of people in al
walks Of life No one of us today is
free from the Ill effect of traffic con-
SeStion. We all sooner or later pay a
toll To the crowded condition of the
streets. Every commodity that makes
up the objects OF commercial tranSac-
tons Is some time or other transported
over the streets and highways of the
Nation OF Its way from the producer Ia
the ultimate consumer.
The clothing and shoes We wear, the
food We eat. the material that goes into
the building of our homes and the
furnishing thereof. all at ono time OF
another pass over the highways The
transportation OF commodities is no small
item of cost when we realize the many
ways in which transportation affects
our daily life. 1t has been said and IL
is easy to figure that 1t costs in the
neighborhood OF | cent per minute Ia
operate a passenger vehicle on the
highways. The cost of motor truck
may run as high as or cents a
minute. When we consider the thou
sands Of vehicles passing through the
streets daily We can see that a few
moments delay Of each vehicle caused
by traffic congestion can run into huge
/ sums Of money
/ Small Town Problem.
Traffic congestion in any small town
can be Just as acute as the congestion
i in Washington. Philadelphia. Chicago.
! or any other community The capacity
/ Of street is limited Under the most
! favorable conditions the capacity of a
single line of vehicles in one direction
/ on street intereSected by cross traffic
/ every block. as il is in most cities, can
! not exceed from $50 To 900 vehicles per
/ hour. This capacity Is the same for a
i street IN Washington. as II is In New
/ York City or any other place Having
/ in mind the maximum OF 600 vehicles
/ per hour at given intersection. that
, the congestion on Pennsylvania avenue.
between Ninth and Tenth streets. the
/ most congested center of washington
! ran be clearly seen from figures of the
! Traf1c Bureau showing that from to &
pm. each day an average of 2.lOo
vehicles pass per hour
/ The second point OF most congestion
/ In the city is at Connecticut and Flor
ida avenues between and 6 pm. at
/ which point an average of 1875 We
j hicles pass per hour
When a street is full no more ve-
/ ficles can be moved over it, regardless
OF the location of that street There
fore. 1t is plain To be seen that the
congestion in one city or locality. when
the maximum capacity OF the streets
! is reached. is Just as great as ii is in
A.. any other: the only difference being
| in the size Of the city and the extent
Of the congestion When vessel is
| filled with water II is full to its ca
, pacity, whether il be wine glass or
/ barrel
| The solution Of a traffic problem
cannot be expected to be accom-
/ plislled over night or in single dav.
month or year. There Is no infallible
remedy. There is ne cure-an. Traffic
conditions are changing daily More
business houses and ONCE buildings
! are being erected and they are reach
ing upward higher and higher into the
skies
All OF these things have tendency
70 increase the number OF vehicles
which must of necessity pass over the
streets and highways Of the state TO
| transport the workers TO and from
| their places OF employment and to de-
/ liver the necessities of life to the
| homes from the sources of manufacture
| and between centers of industrial &C.
tivity.
roar PRIMARY tauSeSs
/ Four primary causes for street con-
/ .estion in Washington have been de-
/ termine0 by officials OF District OF Co
/ lunbia Traffic Bureau. The first and
most serious offense Of the n1otorist
in contributing to trafhc congestion Is
| slow driving in the middle Of the street,
| the second lis the parking and getting
out Of parking position: the third dou-
| bic parking and the fourth turning IN
| the middle of the street.
| II is estimated, based on hundreds
| Of trafic accidents. that the average
accident results in l0-minute trafic
snarl The elimination of accidents,
/ it VIII therefore be seen. contributes
much toward the keeping open OF trafnc
| lanes.
Based on its own experience with
| trafic lights in the District and lights
In other cities. figures OF the frame
Bureau show that traffic light at
busy intersection Is the safest assur-
snce against a traffic accident and that
the elimination of the traffic accident
is likewise assurance against tramc
snarl.
To relieve further trsfic conditions
in the city. trsfic lights are TO be IN
stalled on Seventh and 9 streets, being
the fret lights in the really congested
area.
/ To Install More Lights.
| II is estimated by Assistant Director
O. Tram; M. o. Eidridge that the in
staIlation of the traffic light In down
town washington will reduce traific
accidents by Is per cent and VIII M
crease the movement of traffic very
materially. Another step In the diree-
ton of solution OF local trafhc problems
Il being RAPIDLY taken In the adoption
OF the Hoover plan on street highway
safety Since the adoption OF the plan
q year ago, approximately 30 per cent
of the recommendations nave ALREADY
been put into effect. The revised model
trafic code, now being mailed to 1000
cities throughout the country, VIII con-
tain but one majc~ ~Tovislon not al
ready in effect in Washington
This is the modification Of the ri II
q. way regulation Under the present
District of Columbia code the motorisi
on the right has the right OF way. As
modified under the Hoover plan the
n0torist on the right still has the right
OF way. with the one exception-thai
IL the motorist on his left Is already In
the intersection. he fthe one first In
the intersection) shall proceed 10 clear
the intersection before the motorist on
the right crosses
A third solution OF trafflc congestion
will be a change In the present lighting
system at traffic intersections. Under
the present system Of green. amber and
red lights IL has been found that the
amber light. coming between the rec
and the green causes some confusion
to the mot0fist as 70 whether or mol
he should abruptly stop on the amber
OF whether he should take chance ar1o
hurry across the intersection.