Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20
WHALEN WILL ASK
JAY WALKING LAW
New York Believes Time Is
Ripe to Adopt Pedestrian
Ordinance.
BIZ JOHN WALKER HARRINGTON.


Commissioner Grover A. Whalen Of
New York will be evolved rules for the
StTicter control of pedestrian traffic
the suppression of the gaping iaywalker
At traffic conference in Washington
only few days ago Ernest F. Goodrich,
an engineer, said that in many respects
the regulation of traffic was less devel-
oped in New York than in many other
cities, especially the movements of the
walking public.
There is. for instance, no ordinance
under which a citizen can be punished
for crossing thorougfares in the middle
of blocks or risking his life by plunging
into stream of moving vehicles.
Beating the lights" is one of the IA
vorite amusements of New Workers.
It is now believed that the time is
ripe for putting footfarers under an
ordinance for their own protection After
a conference with Chief Magistrate
William McAdoo last Tuesday night
Mr. Whalen decided to ask the Mu-
nicipal Assembly to enact such a meas
ure, which will be drafted by the mag
tstrate himself
Balk at Ordinance.
There have been several efforts to
teeth in it, but so far both the City
Legislature and the police have hesi-
tated to sponsor it, because they felt
that the time was not ripe. Mayor
Walker. at the recent dedication of
York avenue, when a new traffic signal
system was put into commission, said
he hoped lights would be sufficient to
regulate pedestrian traffic without re-
course of drastic penalties
The reasons for New York not deal
ing summary with the jayWalker as
some other large municipalities do are
not political" as some critics say.
They spring from the elements of her
trafhc problem itSelf-a problem differ
ent from that In any other community
in this country. The peculiar shape of
Manhattan Island, where there is the
greatest congestion, and the diverse ma
ture OF the population make pedestrian
control unusually difficult
As Commissioner Whalen very frankly
said last week, there have been certain
weak points In the existing rules which
have prevented as strict a control of
the footfarerS In practice as would
seem possible in theory. The first thing
TO do before the enactment of new
legislation Is to make 1t physically
possible for the pedestrian to have an
even break with the vehicular traffic.
Life-Saving Is First.
The prime object of an anti jaywalk-
ing ordinance is to keep the people
from being killed or injured; the re-
LEI OF trafnc congestion is important,
yet secondary to life-Saving:
There are three elements in any
effective system of pedestrian control"
said Julien H. Harvey, resident man
ager Of the National Safety Council,
yesterday. They are engineering, edu-
cation and enforcement. These NAV be
compared to the three sides Of an equi-
lateral triangle-they are of equal i'm
portance
TT stands to reason, however, that it
Is not fair to the public to expect 1t to
comply with regulations without max
ing 1t possible for them to obey them
without great hardship. The cities
which have done the best In the safe
handling Of foot trafIie are those which
have nrSt overcome the physical Difficult
ties, which. as understand it, the DO
lice commission here is now endeavoring
to do.
IF the pedestrian feels that motor
trafic has the preference over him, and
that little common sense would make
things equal, If applied, he Is likely to
be defiant and to take risks. Having
provided a place where pedestrians can
cross without waiting an unreasonable
long time, a city can then proceed with
campaign Of education.
Police and Citizens Cooperate.
"In some cities this has been done in
0 perfectly good-natured way, and new
regulations have been put into practice
If
and public
After all excuses for the violation of
anti jaywalking rules have been nulli-
ned by engineering skill, the majority
OF population can be soon induced to
observe the signals and the rules after
little instruction and publicity.
Rigid enforcement may then be ap-
piled to bring into line those persons
who are careless, unruly or stubborn.
Only few fines and penalties seem to
be necessary, however, in communities
where the other two elements of the
problem have been attended to by the
authorities"
One of the most serious drawbacks of
the present system of traffic control in
New York City, so far as the pedestrian
Is concerned. is the left turn motorists
are permitted to make The automo-
biliSt, for that matter, can turn either
TO the right or left in traffic, in many
sections Of this city. In the scheme Of
things traffic haltS when a red light is
shown, and goes forward when the
green appears.
Cut Of Pedestrians.
Pedestrians are then supposed to
have the chance to cross safely to the
other side between the walls of the
nQTfAH NJ Dat
do they have it? They certainly do not.
Currents Of traffic in many places set in
from the right and left. cut off the
stream Of pedestrians at the will of
drivers and make them scamper in all
directions. Automobiles are not only
crossing the cleared street at right
angles, but they are edging in on -he
foot passenger from the right and left,
giving him only grudging leave to
exist.
In the traffic plan Mr.. Whalen will
put into effect in the congested theater
district these turns will be abolished
In one-way streets especially, as the
commissioner said TO this writer, it is
very hard for the walkers to find any
chance to cross the thorougf1fares on
account of the turns.
Therefore in the tests now to be
made extra policemen will be stationed
at corners who will see that there IS
free passage for pedestrians. Moreover,
10 feet back from the curb, on the side
walks, there will be details of police,
who will see to it that the public crosses
quickly when the way is open and That
no citizens loiter on the corners and
thus obstruct the stream of those who
wish to pass
Certain cities have greatly lesSened
congestion by sbolishing the left turn,
adopting this provision from the
model municipal traffic ordinance, -
drafted by a committee of traffic ex-
perts under the direction Of the Ma
tional Conference on Street and High
way Safety.
Uniformity Is Sought.
The purpose of this document is to