Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08

III belt Is moving steadily underground
like the many endless carriers of
- - mass production which have made
that city so famous.
Down the street fer distance of miles
this belt moves, now at q creeping pace now
fastening up to a brisk glide then again slow
ing down to a creep. Alongside to the right,
for the entire length Of the moving belt, a
stationary platform holds q continuous flow OF
people-aI at the same time waiting for the
belt to slow down. all at once stepping over To
the carrier while 1t Is going at its slowest pace,
and all together proceeding with it farther up
the street.
Nine seconds later. and the belt speeds its
pace. Alongside to its left is another moving
belt with seats like those of any railroad car
and with a canopy overhead. The inner belt
Is now moving fast at a steady pace. Reaching
the speed Of this seated carrier, the first belt
unloads its passengers. Then 1t slows down
again to pick up another waiting load
Out of the basement floors of the buildings
along the street. out of theaterS, restaurants,
offices, and street corners comes the constant
flow of people bound somewhere along the long
straight avenue. Wherever a person happens to
be he may enter this amending platform under
meath the sidewalk. drop coin in auto
matte turnStile, wait a few seconds for the
gates of the moving belt to open and proceed
on his way over a Strikingly new kind of sub
way system. There are no ear-splitting noises
of rumbling trains no yelling guards nor hur-
rying gatemen. There is no station to hurry
to- nor n definite stop to crowd into. There is
no confusion, no pushing and jostling.
ONE concerted movement prevails the entire
length of the street. momentary Iull,
then all waiting on the platform take the same
step at practically the same time over to the
moving belt. Another lull in the movement of
people, and again they step together upon the
faster belt for the moment that the first one
Is moving at the same speed.
There is a similar movement in the opposite
direction, as those who want to alight step from
the faster to the slower belt and then to the
stationary platform. Right to their individual
destinations, no distance to walk from a sta
ton.
In the street overhead, no street cars are
running, the tracks and overhead wires have
been taken away the entire width OF the ave-
nue. is left to automobiles. Traffic is open, fast
and free.
What change over existing systems! What
o relief for drivers and pedestrians! What a
dream!
Yet the dream promises to become reality.
In fact, it has passed the dream stage and has
entered the planning phase of perhaps the
most progressive transportation idea that has
ever been devised Put into practice along a
street like Woodward avenue in Detroit the
system would revolutionize transportation
1t would take more people of the streets,
carry them safely underground and deposit them
closer to their destination than any existing
system. 1t would open the street entirely to
motor vehicles and greatly reduce street acci-
dents. 1t would hasten the home coming of
downtown workers and relieve the feet of tired
shoppers. Even its originator cannot think Of
all the many varied benefits such a system
would bring to city.
The system, as simple as 1t is unique, is the
idea of Herman e. Taylor, supervisor Of traffic
for the department of street railways of De-
troit. Taylor has been in the street railway
business for nearly 40 years, and he has been
occupied with traffic problems for at least
half that time His knowledge of Detroit traffic
conditions is the result of a dozen years of
activity there and the new plan he has devised
Is the result of this knowledge
When Taylor went to Del A. Smith general
manager of the D. S. R., and explained his
plan, Smith grasped its significance They
had Gordon V. Allyn, D. S. r. mechanic, build
model to see how it would work in a semi
practical form. The model, an endless double
belt OF moving gates and seats part of it