Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-19
DESCRIBES TAX|CAB
TRAFFIC AS CHAOTIC
Efficiency Bureau Urges Dis
trict Heads to Enforce So
Called "Loitering Act"

Describing as chaotic" conditions
resulting from excessive taxicab trafac
in front Of various places in the con-
gested business section of Washington,
especially the hotels and theaters, the
Federal Bureau of Efficiency today
urged the District Commissioners to
make every effort to correct them by
enforcement Of the so-called lettering
act"
"A great amount of chaos and traffic
congestion has resulted at times near
hotels and theaters In the congested
area from the driving of taxicabs slow
" past these places for the purpose Of
soliciting fares" said the bureau. IAN
observation of this condition at a point
on F street between Fourteenth and
Fifteenth streets northwest showed
that beween 10 and 1925 pm. empty
cabs passed at the rate OF approximate
\ " four a minute. Less than 5 per cent
OF these cabs discharged or received
passengers while passing through tins
block. This condition Is general be-
tween the hours Of $50 and 1880 pm,
and is worse at theater CLOSING time"
Lettering Act Cited.
The bureau pointed out that an act
of Congress Of July II, 1919, forbidding
the lettering of public vehicles around
or in front Of hotels, theaters, or pub
lie buildings, vests in the Commission
ers the authority necessary to prevent
such conditions.
Enforcement Of the "loitering act Is
only one of q series Of recommendations
made by the bureau to alleviate trafnc
congestion IN the business section:
Amendments to the traff1c code ana
license law also were urged to tighten
the regulations on motor buses ana
sightseeing vehicles so that full use may
be made Of the limited amount OF park
ing space in the congested area. j..
The recommendation are contained
in q l7-page report, which is based on
an exhaustive study of the parking sit
uation by Donald p. Evans OF the IN
yestipation staff of the bureau. The
survey was made at the direction OF
Representative Simmons OF Nebraska,
chairman of the House subcommittee
on appropriations.
Motor buses, the report declared.
should be prevented from parking IN the
congested section except at places oeslg-
mated for that purpose, and then NOT
LONGER Ikldu n DEIIO0 Va Az
Sightseeing buses, 1t said, should not
be permitted to use the busy streets.
Report Discusses Cab Stands.
A large section of the report Is de-
voted to a discussion of the situation
around the hotels created by the park
ing of taxicabs which have private con-
ceSsions at these places to the exclusion
of all other passenger vehicles for nlre.
Although such vehicles are required TO
be either owned or leased by the hotel,
to carry L tags, to be used exclusively
for the accommodation OF guests OF the
hotels and kept only Gin a reasonable
number and reasonable manner" the
report declared ut is known that these
conditions are not being met at the
! present time. These vehicles are not
owned or leased by the hotels" 1t added.
''They are not used exclusively for the
accommodation of the guests OF the
hotel and they are not always kept at
these locations in a reasonable number.
The report however, said that there
appears to be no adequate remedy Tor
these conditions which are admittedly
unsatisfactory" under existing legisia-
[ ton, and recommended that the license
law of 1902 be amended to provide
regulation to meet the situation.
Paragraphs IL and Is of section OF
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