Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
SAFETY PLATFORMS
ARE HELD AS CHIEF
T TRAFFIC PROBLEM.
Whitehurst Declares Car
Zones Create "BottIenecks"
on All Leading Streets.
CONNECTICUT AVENUE
is CITED By ENGINEER
Blames Lack of Coordination in
Municipal Departments for
Present Situation.
BY JAMES E. CHM.


To facilitate the movement of traf-
fic, the highway department of the
District in the last several years has
spent thousands of dollars to widen
streets and to round off corners to per-
NIT wider turning radius
And what has been the result?
In very few instances have the de-
sired Improvements followed. Traffic
"bottlenecks" have been created on the
newly-widened streets by the establish
ment of street car loading platforms or
bus step zones. In some cases, both
of these obviously necessary obstruc-
lions are found in close proximity. The
effect expected from the rounding of
of corners has virtually been nullifled
because automobiles are permitted to
park up to the turning point Of the
curb.
Coordination Scored.
The situation has been brought about
through the lack of coordination
among the various agencies Of the
municipal government concerned with
the streets and their use and which
Capt. Herbert C. Whitehurst, CO.
ordinator and chief engineer of the
engineering department of the District,
is seeking to remedy.
The traffic capacity of highway
Capt. Whitehurst points out, can be
no greater than its capacity at the in
tersections. But with car loading plat
forms. bus stops, hack stands and what
not at the intersections, he said, the
usefulness of a street for some distance
in each direction Is materially reduced.
Within the last two years, Connecticut
avenue, which handles a tremendous
volume of the north and south bound
traffic, was widened from SO to 30 1eet
at a cost of approximately $300,OOO
The additional 80 feet In width, ~ was
believed at the highway department.
would aid materially In allevlatlng
traffic congestion which prevailed es-
pecially in the morning and afternoon
rush hours.
100000 Wasted"
Instead. however. traffic jams are said
to be as frequent in the rush hours as
they were before Connecticut avenue
was widened. The 100000 spent . i9r
the extra 80 feet width has done little
more than create an impressive looking
boulevard. It's unitarian value for
trafic purposes is not rated any higher,
| in the light of developments that nave
taken place since the project was COM
Street car loading platforms have been
| located at various points from K street
to Florida avenue, thus reducing tne
| full value Of the thoroughfare as a
traffic carrier. Their presence alone
create a so-called "bottleneck" az tne
points where they have been erected,
eliminating at least one traffic lane IN
| the vicinity Of each platform. But IN
the wake Of the loading platforms came
the parked automobile further 70 mar
row the "bottleneck."
In most sections automobiles are not
permitted to park opposite street car
loading platforms, simply because they
are conducive to traffic jams oy
squeezing moving vehicles into mar
row lane near street lnterSectlohs'
| where the flow should not be impeoeo.
On Connecticut avenue, however, tne
! the newly widened area. AUTOMOBILES
park, with police approval, opposite the
| loading platforms, leaving barely enough
room for two moving vehicles to maneu-
yer between the parked machines and
the platform. Away from the loading
platforms the avenue will carry four
| lines on either side. Trafic, therefore.
| is run through a series of "bottlenecks'
from K street to Florida avenue.
Mckinley Street Blockade.
Further out Connecticut avenue at
Mckinley street. near Chevy Chase
! Circle, the situation is even worse
| Here a bus stop has been established
| at the curb directly opposite a white
lined car stop zone.
| The avenue Is much narrower al
this point. When bus pulls In TO
take on or discharge passengers, 1t
lane. and the vehicles behind must
wait until it pulls away, or veer sharply
| to the left and run on the car tracks
past the car stop zone. Should a
street car and q bus stop simultaneously
at this point, all traffic is completely
halted. It would be impossible for We
hicles to pass between the car and the
bus without running through the car
| loading zone.
The highway department also has
spent approximately $l5O,OOO In tne
last few years rounding off corners in
the business section to provide great
err turning radius to smooth the now OF
| traffic at intersections. About $50 cor
ners have been rounded of, the turn
| ing radius in most cases being increased
from 10 to 80 feet. Yet the actua
turning radius Is as narrow as ever
because vehicles are permitted to park
to the turning point.
These are but several OF the Illus
trations Capt Whitehurst had in mine
when he recommended to the Commits.
sioners last week that definite actor
be taken to coordinate the activities
of agencies having to do with thu
streets and their use, and thus prevent
the virtual notification Of the highway
department'S work to improve INT
movement of traft1c.
on Connecticut avenue, Tor instance
the Public Utilities Commission estab
lished the car-loading platforms ant
the motor bus stops, obviously witt
little consideration of the effect on tn
movement of trafic. The police ant
traffic departments likewise failed full!
to consider the situation, otherW1s
parking would not be permitted op
posite any car loading platform ant
the curb.
!, Another striking example Of the 1ael
of coordination, 1t was pointed out, !
the practice Of the Public Uttlitie
Commission In routing motor busse
over narrow streets, where parking !
permitted on both sides, participant
when an adjoining street is wider an
better able to accommodate these larg
and cumbersome vehicles.
In this connection the condition o.
Mckinley street was cited as one out
standing example. The street is onl
80 feet wide. Private cars are per
mftted to park on either side, furthe
reducing its width, and yet, the Utilitie
Commission has routed an importan
bus line over It. Vehicles, as result