Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-07

solve the problem Is now, ana the
sooner the solution, or at least
some alienation of the ills OF the
situation, is reached, the better OF
will be the American people, he
says In naming the subcommittee
of the traffic committee of the
American Road Builders Associa-
ton.
Assistant Traffic Director Ed
ridge is chairman of the road
builders traffic committee, and he
has outlined a vast study OF the
traffic situation all over the
country by his subcommittee, the
results of which are expected to
be of inestimable value to the
larger cities, and probably to
Washington.
These subcommittee will not
confine their studies to the local
problems, with which they are ia
miliar in the large centers of the
country, but will handle the ques-
ton entirely from the stand
points of type and size of street or
highway, general conditions,
flows of traffic and the various
coming, arterial highway. lighting,
signal device, class of traffic and
other pertaining features with the
view of finding solutions to prob
lens that might as well be ap-
plicable to Kalamazoo, Mich, as
to Washington.
The findings of these subcom-
mittees will be presented at the
convention of the American Road
Builders Association in Atlantic
City next January, and will be
made available for general use
thereafter.
The collection of accident
statistics and analysis of accidents
will be in charge of a group
headed by Burton w. Marsh,
Pittsburgh, Pa, which will also
study traffic flow maps and spot
maps, the necessity for uniformity
in State and city vehicle laws and
the question of where and why
parking should be restricted, or
eliminated entirely.
All questions dealing with re-
gional planning will be in charge
of the group headed by DR.. j.
Gordon Mckay, Cleveland, Ohio,
a former bureau of public roads
Official and highway expert. His
committee will study which streets
are to be designated as through
streets, which for one-way traffic,
which classes of streets should be
paved, widened or zoned for spe-
cial classes of traffic, relation of
pavement, design and type to
traffic volume and loads, weights
and loads for different classes of
vehicles and necessity for coming.
Streets will be claSSed by type
of traffic as cumulative; local or
foreign; or qualitative; trucks,
automobiles, buses and street
cars.
The traffic signals and signs and
street lighting study is in charge
of William S. Canning, Philadel-
phia, Pa. When and where traffic
control devices are needed will be
based on volume of traffic, it's
character, variation and direction
as to whether it warrants the use
of warning signs, flashing beaconS,
boulevard stop signs, isolated
traffic control, officer control or
complete automatic signal install
1ationS.
The amount of street lighting
called for by maximum volume of
streets, one-way or both, with and
vestigated, as will location and ar
rangement of traffic lights. de-
sirable types of timing equipment,
maps of signal installations at un-
usual intersections, three, five and
six way sharp angle intersections
and traffic circles with varying
intersections.
The fourth subcommittee will
study traffic law enforcement and
drivers licenses. The issuance Of
licenses by examination and driv-
ing test, suspension and cancella-
ton for miSdemeanorS or felonies,
and elimination of mental and
physical detectives are detectives
where progress made will be i'm
mediately reflected in greater
safety of highways, reduction Of
traffic fatalities and accidents and
facilitated movement of the Ma
tons traffic.
Consider" says Eldridge, IAN
added 100000 motor vehicles
registered in 1928 over the previ-
Gus year, bringing the total of
motor vehicles set loose on the
highways and streets of America
to 24,493, 124. The opening months
OF this year have set a still faster
pace Of increased registration.
IF these cars we're evenly dis
tributed the full length and
breadth of our highway system,
through and secondary roads and
all, there would be only eight cars
to the mile or on surfaced roads 40
cars to the mile, but such distribu-
ton is not within the possibility
or practicability of attainment.
Therefore traffic must be
studied from every phase, rules
formulated that will permit of
great expansion of automobile
usage during the next decade, and
laws passed and enforced ac-
cordingly. It is a question not
only of controlling traffic, but of
aiding it, speeding it up and
adapting 1t to the present accom-
nodationS until more and wider
highways and streets may be
built.
"Great strides in construction
must be made, with every con-
sideration of traffic demands con-
sistent with public safety. Safety
is a paramount factor of traffic,
facility a secondary one"
The blast delivered upon the
a n ~