Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-01
CAR FLEET OWNERS
WANT HOOVER TURN
Better ArteriaI Highways
Also Urged by Operators Of
Many Vehicles. 4

tween 400 and, 500 vehicles have aligned
themselves as unit against the rotary
left-hand turn and in favor of the
standard Hoover method. According to
them, the best thought in motor trans
portation practice today is devoted to
greater efficiency, combined with speed
and safety, and this involves such re-
duction as may be made in unnecessary
stops. 1t is their opinion that the
Hoover left turn meets these tests, while
the rotary left turn fails to measure up.
The questions you raise about traf-
fic," said w. D. Griffith of the Griffith
Consumers Co., Cannot be lightly an
SWered, and in my opinion do not cover
the entire field. There are other prob
lens at least equally vital as the method
of making left turns. Washington is
growing and is going to keep on grow
ing. You can bank on that and should
bear it in mind when urging for or
against any particular regulation.
Urges Faster Movement.
what we need now and what we are
going to need in the future is means
for more rapid movement of traffic, to-
gether with better cross-toWn arteries
OF travel. With the present rules in eff
feet 1t Is thought necessary to provide
many arterial roads running out from
the downtown district, and every one
of those established means just that
much more interference with cross
traffic because of the installation of
stop signs. Applying the reasoning used
now, Washington's future expansion,
with its consequent increase in motor
vehicles will be met by the creation of
more arteral roads, which will just
that much more delay the cross-city
movement.
This seems to me all wrong What
1lIy &c lnCS
and better use of those we have. Hold
ing cars to % miles, or even 80 miles,
as a limit of speed on through roads
is what is now preventing our obtain
ing full benefit of them. When cross
traffic is barred by stop signs, there is
no reason why a speed OF 30 miles an
hour should not be permitted. II that
were done. the flow of traffic would be
accelerated by at least 100 per cent, and
it would be possible to reduce the num-
Der of arterial streets instead of in
crease them.
From the standpoint of operators OF
commercial vehicles such plan would
result in great savings. Not that we
would expect our trucks to travel at
such speed; they are not made Tor IL,
and we don't want them to. But every
unnecessary stop which can be aVoldeo
means just that much less wear ana
tear on the machine. Few who are not
operating trucks realize the Importance
Of this. but I venture to say nearly
every commercial car operator in the
CITY will agree with me that the wear
and tear on their feet has increased
fully so per cent in the last Is years,
and a great deal Of this Is attributable
TO the constant stopping and starting
This is my considered opinion .oased on
the experience Of the 100 or SO trans
portation units we operate oally III
Washington
Circles Slow Traffic.
$50 7 saw that one phase of the
TRANSFORMATION problem can be solved
nv Increasing the permitted speed on
arterial streets SO as 10 get the maxi
mum use of them, thus enaolng re-
duction in their numbers with a conSe-
ouent fewer compulsory stops for cross
citv traffic coupled with the creation OF
a cross-town arterial road free from
circles which now slow things up Oh
Massachusetts avenue. It'll,
Now the passenger car traffic when
produces our two rush perlooS. Is M
coming in the morning ana outsoI,1s
in the afternoon, with traffic IN the OPP
posite direction almost negligible IN
comparison. Machines moving on ar,
teriaI wavs at the increased speed Woulo
largely negative its value If required
to pull right to turn left. H. on tne
other hand. they were pelmltteo ~, ~
turn from GIle lSlI lollO VA
tba Hoover method they would not
block trafhc. and I favor its adoption
aS the standard left turn IN the CITY,
with the proviso, of course, that pass.
ing to the right as well as 10 the leie
be permitted In other words WLlsn
/ sound my horn it is slgnal 10 tiie
car ahead to hold its course In our nan
of the street without swerVing -.
81 don't believe it is essenual that
there be countrywide uniformity, but
I do think we should have one RUE IN
use throughout the city. L Wouio laVol
stop signs at the six roads leadlng lnto
washington, where boards would proml-
nentIv display a brief digest OF our
traffic laws, as is done at Atlantic City;
Folders giving the code more In detail
could also be available. and 1 am sure
the American Automobile AsSoclatlon
and the Board of Trade would glaoly
assume the necessary expense OF ttls;
Thus tourists could become acquainted
with our traffic rules, and would then
hold them to the same observance as !
our local drivers. Couple these with
strict enforcement, particularly making
running a stop sign or nght an OF,
tense carrying with it heavy hne, ana
believe the results would be gooo' ano
you know we have police force tnat
could make these rules work because u I
averages higher in intelligence than the
force of any other CITY,"
Carefully Considered.
eve have considered this matter very
carefully" said Harry KidWell, general
manager of the American Ice Co., be
cause of its Importance, in view OF the
large number of vehicles we operate, and
we are convinced that there should be
uniformity in the left turn rule through |
out Washington. Personally I believe
also that there should, SO far as pos
sible, be a countrywide rule, and l
favor the adoption of the standard Hoo
yer left turn. We use that now where
there are neither lights nor police and
we would prefer to use it at all inter-
sections, so as to secure uniformity. l
realize the rotary turn has some ad-
vantages, but it certainly retards traf-
fic, particularly those trying to make
right turns, and it never would work all
over the city at uncontrolled crossings"
THE question of left-hand turns is
so interviewer with the matter of uni
form traffic regulations as to make
decision on the latter controlled in the
determination of the former" said the
executive officer, transfer and storage
division, Merchants Transfer & Storage
Co. There is in my mind no question
that we should have one rule all over
town. When that is done it will be
relatively easy for drivers to learn what
is expected of them. Because of the
great value of uniformity favor the
adoption of the Hoover left-turn
method, as it is the only one which
will work at both controlled and I'M
controlled intersections.
After consulting our various operat-
ing heads we have reached the conclu-
sion that the rotary left turn is de-
cided detriment to us and 1t seems
,,,ot,onIa tborofnre that H. iS the same