Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-27
PARK POLICE BACK
. HOOVER LEFT TURN
Commander Declares Rotary
Rule flinders Efficient
Traffic Control.

Whatever the attitude Of the Metro
politan police, and they are said to ap-
prove the present rotary left-hand turn
because it makes traf1ic direction
easier, the park police are whole
heartedly In favor Of change to stand
ard Hoover maneuver at all intersec-
lions.
Asserting that the rotary left turn
actually retards the now of trafic and
has to be discarded during certain rush
periods, Capt. p. J. Carroll, who has
one-seventh Of the territory Of the Dis
trict In his Jurisdiction and whose ON
GERS handle one-fifth of the traffic. &C.
cording to his estimate. declared him
self yesterday for the Hoover left turn
and opposed to any further expert
mentation with modification OF 1t. Ac-
cording to Capt. Carroll 1t is being used
now at but one of the intersections
under his control, Seventeenth and B
only because of his belief that traffic
regulations should be as uniform as
possible. Carroll said the opinions ex-
pressed were not only his own, but were
concurred in by all the park police
force.
Ready to Drop It.
when the rotary turn was put into
effect here I told Inspector Brown that
I would try 1t at Seventeenth and B
streets, but that at other intersections,
particularly Fifteenth and B streets and
West Executive and State place, there
was no use even testing 1t as the num-
Der of left turns were too many to
permit the rotary turn to work." said
Capt. Carroll. AFTER giving it this
thorough trial we are ready to drop
1t and would do SO were it not for our
desire to conform to the Metropolitan
police system so far as possible.
THE aim of traffic officials should be
to get left-turning vehicles clear of
the intersection as soon as possible and
the rotary turn fails to do this. Arbi-
trarily requiring vehicles to stop for
light changes defeats the effort to
clear the intersection and whether
they are stopped at the center or at
the far right side makes no difference.
That's why I am against the suggested
compromise turn.
THE thing to do is to put into eff
feet the left turn which Is now au-
thorized for all uncontrolled interSec-
lions in the city that conforms to the
Hoover code system. Drivers making
left turns at those places now have to
traftlc has the right of way, and there
Is no reason to suppose that they will
not use the same good Judgment in
making left turns at controlled corners
II given the chance.
At Seventeenth and B streets we
have found that the rotary left turn
slows up the flow Of traffic materially
and when things get too bad we just
have to drop it and motion the cars
through. It doesn't seem wise to me
to have a rule which won't stand up
under the peak Of traffic. At Four
tenth and Water streets 1t has been
found necessary during periods of ex-
ceptionally heavy vehicular movement
to turn off the lights entirely.
ANY rule now suggested for Wash
tngton should, In CAROLS opinion, be
subjected to close scrutiny and should
be rejected If it will not work uni
verSally, because local drivers should
no longer be forced to operate under
two rules, which differ radically.
$780, Favors One Rule for City.
81 am a strong believer in having
but one rule for all over the city and
no rule should be adopted that cannot
be enforced at practically all intersec-
tions," declared the captain. THAT is
the reason why ] am against the Sug-
gested rule that cars pCll to the center
of the intersection and stop until the
lights change. Do you think that at
uncontrolled crossing drivers are going
to stop when there is no traffic in
sight in the block? don't believe they
will any more than they do now when
there is no need for 1t. II am cor
rect in my estimate, we will soon, in
effect, be operating under two rules,
because the stop VIII be observed at
controlled intersections ard disre-
garded at uncontrolled crossings unless
vehicles having the right of way make
a stop necessary. Therefore the only
difference which will be caused by the
modified left turn will be that the cars
will be out in the center Of the street
instead of at the right side. There will
also then be q law on our books which
will be ignored In most instances at
uncontrolled intersections and this
will breed contempt and hamper en-
forcement Of other regulations.
'It will be far better, in my opinion,
to discard the rotary turn and adopt
BY that I mean turning left from the
left lane Of traffic at the center Of the
intersection without stopping, unless
oncoming vehicles, which have the right
of way make stop necessary for safety.
That's the rule now at our uncontrolled
crossings; it's the general rule through
out the country; it has the almost
unanimous Endorsement Of our leading
traffic experts, and I'd like to see WASH
ington join in the movement for uni
formity.
"These are not alone my own views.
I think have, at one time or another,
talked to every man on our force on
this subject and have yet to find one
who did not prefer the Hoover left turn
to the rotary turn"