Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-30
TRAFFIC CHANGES
URGED BY B|BB|NS
Co-ordinated System OF
Lights and Raising of Speed
Are in 75-Page Report.

Recommendations for startling
changes in the methods of handling the
city's traffic flows, including the estab-
lishment of a master signal plan to
generally speed up the movement Of
motor vehicles throughout the city, are
contained in the report on the engi-
neering analysis made this Summer
for the District Traffic Council by j.
Rowland Bibbins, consulting engineer,
and his associate, II. G. Lummis.
Bibbins criticism OF the present Dis
trict traffic system, and his recommen-
dationS. which will be considered at a
meeting of the Traffic Council next
Monday, are contained In 75-page
report just submitted to the council
and released for publication today by
Charles P. Clark. general manager of
the American Automobile Association,
a member of the council.
Bibbins recommends
A full, progressive, co-ordinated sys-
tenn of traffic lights for all streets carry
ing traffic heavy enough to need signal
runs In order to reduce excessive traffic
stoppage and delays and raise the aver
age speed of both traffic and transport
tation, now far too low.
The Skip-Stop progressive plan tpro-
tecting minor traffic crossings with
stop signs only will be helpful, If not
imperative. in securing wave speed and
capacity with the existing complex
street system.
Abandonment Of the piecemeal install
lation OF unco-ordlnated. signals in
favor Of the master signal plan.
Classification OF the street system into
the following divisions: Express streets,
one in each general direction, with
speed limits of % to 80 miles an hour;
normal fast streets (mOst OF the ra-
dialS), with speed limits of from 20 10
IS miles an hour; moderate speed dis
tricts outside the central portion of the
city, with speed limits OF from Is TO
20 miles an hour, and central business
district streets, generally slow, with
speed of 10 to Is miles an hour.
Paving of these streets in future paw
ing programs with material best adapt
ed to the speed desired.
Segregation Of passenger and freight
traffic.
Installation at needed points Of ode
mand" signals which will allow the
motorists TO cross q fast trunk line
street without stopping the flow Of
traff1c thereon. (Mr Bibbins here re-
fers to signals which would be operated
by the arrival of the crossing machine
at the intersection and sounding Of a
horn to act upon the signal lights long
enough To allow cfoSSiNS)
Three second Amber Intervals.
Amber intervals of three seconds to
prevent waste Of street trafYic time.
Use of the shortest practicable cycle
of signal lights, sufficient to pass the
maximum rush traffic, to clear turns
and secure the proper speed allowed by
the laws.
Clear instructions for motorists of
the timing of signal runs through signs
on the streets.
Establishment throughout the signal
belts of lanes for traffic, with rigid en-
forcement of rules keeping slow speed
trucks in their proper lanes and the
faster vehicles in their proper lanes.
Education of motorists as to speeds
of the different Speed-districts, so that
they will neither speed nor straggle and
cause pile-upS i'll traffic.
Bibbins declared that high-speed ar
terieS like Connecticut avenue should
not be further cut with isolated signal
lights without detailed analysis with
view TO future hook-up with the mas
ter signal plan. He says that Stanton
Park signals should be waved, or CO.
ordinated with the Maryland avenue
run: PENNSYLVANIA avenue-Capitol Hill.
Park road-NeW Hampshire avenue and
Fourteenth street south should be CO.
ordinated.
Georgetown Proposal.
He adds that the intersection Of M
street and TWenty-eighth street. now a
one-way street, can best be protected
by using TWenty-ninth street, at the
head of PENNSYLVANIA avenue, west, as
the first north-South two-Way traffic
street IN Georgetown, closing Twenty
eighth street between Pennsylvania
avenue and M street by extending the
memorial park eastward TO the church.
He finds striking evidence of lack
of cooperation" in the unnecessary
closing OF Thirteenth street, the heav-
lest downtown traffic artery, by the
new triangle buildings. thus forcing all
traffic to right and left at PennSyl-
Vania avenue.
Prohibition Of turns, he says. simply
transfers the difficulty elsewhere, add
ing that Thirteenth street would con-
meet with widened B street to clear
traffic out the congested center with
out turning.
Wants Pedestrians Controlled.
Bibbins also makes e plea for the
movement Of pedestrian traffic in
platoons as the vehicles are forced to
do on the lights. He sees, However.
no need except In Isolated instances, OF
separate pedestrian intervals on heavy
traffic streets, finding that the eStab-
lishment of traffic intervals for pedes-
trians needless waste OF time.
The engineer cites the tieXibi!ity of
the master signal plan recommended
as adaptable to the various stages OF
traffic from the dull, between periods
to the peak of the rush hour traffic.
The chief criticism made by Bibbins
is that under the present traffic regula-
tons traffic is slowed unnecessarily, and
where the speed limit now is % miles
an hour in most districts and 80 miles
an hour in others. it is not possible for
these speeds to be made during the
rush traffic hours in safety.
He finds that traffic moves at from S
to 8 miles an hour III the downtown
area and from 9 to IL miles an hour
on the citys most prominent thorough
fares.
"A