Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
TRAFFIC PROGRESS
URGED BY REEVES
Says Regulation Should Be
Put on $50" Instead of
"Stop" System.

"rrafiic regulation and control sys-
TENS in many communities need to be
put on the go basis instead Of the
stop basis" said Alfred Reeves, gen.
eral manager, National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce, at the United
States Chamber of Commerce session
on traffic relief here last week. There
is too much tendency to forbid instead
of finding out a satisfactory way of
getting results. Progressive or wave
lights have speeded up traffic in Chi
cago safely. At intersections where
traffic Is not heavy, signal lights are
seldom needed. Where there is heavy
crosswise traffic there should be over
passes Uniform regulations are i'm
portant to the eff1cient movement OF
traf1ic.
Every city should have some one
executive or commission responsible for
traffic, aided in communities OF 100000
or more by the constant researches OF
traffic manager. Chambers OF COM
merce are the most concerned in this
entire problem and should take active
part in it. Very often a citizens COM
mittee on traffic can have highly con-
structive value.
Parking Affects Business.
"In most communities the hazards of
parking have been overemphaS1zeo.
Parking for a reasonable time must De
permitted in most sections OF any CITY
il motor transportation Is to retain It's
convenience and utility. The NUMBER
of cars parked in a retail area at any
one time may not include large por-
ton of customers of stores before which
they are parking, but during the Gay
that trade Is considerable.
AN absolute no parking prohibition
would kill retail business in most cltles.
Half-hour parking should be the mini
mum in most places.
"City coming should give broader per-
mission for garages. The old style
nuisance garages have been replaced
by modern handsome buildings.
To-day storage of cars Is being pro-
vided in many cities, such as Detroit, by
parking lots at very low cost, Large
barking garages are on the increase,
such as the Kent Automatic Electrlc
Garage in New York.
Broader highways, bypass roads
and grade separations are among tne
ultimate remedies. City planning ana
coming will contribute more when mer-
Regional Planning.
"The value of a regional plan is to tie
together the street programs Of the va
rious suburbs and other jurisdictions. IN
a metropolis area. Voluntary action
alone Is not likely to get results. A
reginoal organization should have both
oficial and unofficial Endorsement. In
Cleveland all the official bodies have
agreed to support the regional program
and it is going forward successfully. In
New York the regional plan organi-
zation is voluntary. Though made up
of capable people, its program has gone
slowly because of lack Of legislative and
other official systems.
ITO base city street program primarily
on a so-called trade area basis is mis-
take In a metropolis program 1t Is
sensible to locate the roads according
to the most efficient pattern because
trade will hold up along the line of the
highways. The problem is to connect
the suburbs, provide bypass roads
around a congestion and tie up State
| highway systems.
From that point of view the question
of passes benef1tting property usually
has to be determined in each special
circumstance. 1t is not wise to recon-
mend specific rule on this point"