Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
BETTER TRAFFIC
FACILITIES URGED
Association Declares mad
equate Regulations Cost
$4,000, 600, 900 Annually.

An economic loss of more than
100000 is suffered by the people
of the United States annually through
the failure to provide adequate trafic
facilities, according to the American
Motorists Association.
This staggering figure, which repre-
sentS a per capita loss of nearly $40,
is based upon careful studies of specific
traffic problems which are indicative
of those common throughout the
United States.
1.-THE most grave waste of human life
arises from our relative failure, thus
far. to cope adequately with the prob
lens Of motor-car traffic" DR.. Julius
Klein, director of the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce, declared in
commenting upon prevalent traffic
problems. During the year just ended
nearly $4,000 persons were killed, more
than 100000 suffered serious personal
injury through accidents and the total
economic loss due to the destruction
of property, to congestion and to other
causes incident to inadequate traffic
facilities is estimated to be not less
than $2,000,000,000 annually"
Losses BY Death Stressed.
The death loss has increased during
the past several years in proportion to
the number of automobiles IN use, the
association declares. For example, in
1922, when registration totaled SIC, 238,-
900, the number of automobile fatali-
ties numbered $4,000. Last year, when
registrations reached 24,496,000, the
number of fatalities was $4,000.
StatsticianS estimate that for each
fatal accident Is to 80 persons are
injured as the result Of automobile mis-
haps. Using that basis, approximately
100000 persons were injured in 1922
as compared with nearly 100000 in
1928
There are many factors contributing
to the total estimated $4,000 900
loss. Some of these cannot be COM
puted in money equivalent, but studies
have given some pecuniary significance
to them.
Factors Enumerated.
These factors are enumerated by the
association as follows:
Time lost by vehicles in operation
over congested thoroughfares; increased
cost due to travelling extra distances
between origin and destination where
a more direct route is economically
desirable and possible; increased oper-
ating and maintenance costs of
vehicles where road surfaces are not
of proper type and where grades might
be economically reduced; time. lost at
grade intersections; community costs
due to absence Of traffic police, signal
systems and other regulatory facilities:
delays due to congested turns, poor
name signs and badly marked and
maintained detours; loss to merchants;
dormant real estate values: increased
costs and delays incident to the tole-
ration of vehicles unsuited to local
conditions, and other causes which do
not admit Of general classification.
Congestion a Menace.
Detailed trafic tallies indicate that
congestion is costing one community
of about 10000 people $4,000 a day,
while the cost In metropolitan New
York City due to traffic congestion has
been estimated at $1,000,000 day.
In Philadelphia delays in the opera
ton of a feet of taxicabs because Of
congestion amounted to 95 per- cent
of the working time of the cabs, or
about $3.50 per day per vehicle.
"These tremendous losses, estimated
In terms of money, demonstrate the
need for more adequate traffic facili-
ties" declares Thomas j. Keefe, general
manager of the American Motorists
Association. 1.-THE burden falls upon
all members of the general public and
all have an interest in the reduction OF
these losses. Figures show, too, that
expenditures for providing traffic facili-
ties are justified in the public interest
through the saving of life, prevention
of injury, reduction in losses Of travel
ing time, lower transportation costs and
many other factors which contribute
to the estimated $4,000, 100000 annual
economic loss to the Nation"