Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-02
TRAFFIC REFORMS
STUDIED BY CROSBY.
Elimination of Congestion
Held Primary Problem
in Washington.
Continued From First Page.)


least q years official notice even after
the preliminary discussions.
Taking up the matter of restriction
on night parking, which Gen. Crosby
believes is bound TO come, sooner or
later, he said that the plan to be pro-
posed would probably be a limit to one
hour of parking between 3 and o'clock
in the mofning on q small area of the
congested downtown section. One years
notice would be given before such a
regulation would take effect, and then
| a second area, slightly larger than, and
| including, the first, would be similarly
| restricted to two years notice, and so
on until a sufficient area had been
restricted.
The effect of this, Gen. Crosby pre-
dicted, would be to take of the streets
certain cars which are parked day and
night, more eficiently than the present
| regulation limiting the parking Of Q
| vehicle in non-restricted areas to Is
consecutive hours.
Primarily, Of course, the streets are
for traffic" Gen. Crosby observed.
Driving now along such a street as
California street Is an adventure in a
| on both sides of the street.
Public Buildings Make Problem.
Gen. Crosby said that he had en-
| deavored to find out what definite steps
had been taken toward caring for the
large amount of traffic to be shifted to
the section of the District to be occu-
pied by the Federal Government build
ings, and that, as far as he can learn,
none have been taken. In addition to
the heavy traffic through the congested
section Of town to these new buildings,
there will be trafflc to the four blocks
Of the new municipal center group just
across Pennsylvania avenue from the
Federal group between Sixth and Third
streets. All Of this traffic will converge
on this area at approximately Q o'clock
in the morning and will try to get
away at approximately $3.50 O'Clock In
the afternoon. He examined the plans
drawn by Municipal Architect Albert
Harris, which tentatively set up under
ground parking space for about $50
vehicles of persons calling to transact
! business at the buildings Of the new
municipal center. Gen. Crosby said he
did not think that would be nearly
enough and had asked Harris to try to
secure far more parking space.
One Of Gen. Crosby's ideas Is part
time one-way streets. Twenty-first and
Twenty-second streets carry O heavy
load during the early morning and late
afternoon rush hours. Crosby said that
be solid stream of cars headed north
on one Of them In the afternoon, and
one or two cars going south, and the
fact that there were few vehicles
heading south gave the northbound
cars only about one-half Of the eficient
space of the street. Some effort is now
made to meet this situation by forbid
ding parking on the flow side Of the
streets during rush hours, but Gen.
Crosby would like to try out the system
OF making Twenty-firSt street (for IN
stance a one-way street south during
the morning rush hour and one-way
north during the afternoon rush period.
Left Turn Under Study.
The present rotary method Of making
left turns at intersections where police
men or traff1c lights are stationed Gen,
Crosby regards as something confusing
to tourists who are accustomed to other
methods OF making the turn. Cleveland
Is the only other city having left turn
similar to that in washington. opinion
is divided on the left turn, but Gen.
Crosby personally is inclined to the old
left turn. This will be one of the prob
lens put up for public discussion.
Gen. Crosby views much of the period
during which some traflc lights are
now turned on as wasted. There are
stretches of streets where there is prac-
tically no cross trafdc during the non
rush hour period. But the traflc lights
halt the trafflc on the street neverthe-
less. He believes this gives q bad name
to other lights which have q definite
and useful function. An instance
brought to his attention was Fourteenth
street south of B street, where cross
trafic is practically nil. Yet the Four
tenth street trafic must halt all
too, while the lights are blinking. In
one spot the traffic light is placed where
there is no street whatsoever, Just at
the entrance to the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing parking yard, which
Is busy only twice day.
Desires New Roads.
"The building Of new roads isn't nv
job" said Gen. Crosby, but ] have
also two roadbuilding jobs in mind
that would be an immense relief to
the traffic situation. One would be an
enormous boulevard, following the line
of Rock Greek, and devoted entirely to
through traffic. But the Commissioners
have no control over the park land, so
this must remain more or less q wish
for me.
1.-THE other one is a road from the
District end Of Highway Bridge, in
addition to the roadway now followed
by the car tracks, which would help us
to unsnarl such traffic as we have dur.
ing the cherry blossom season.
One of Gen. Crosby's traffic ideas he
put into effect in his second week in
office-a rearrangement of the trafic
light systems for Dupont, Thomas and
Iowa circles, aiding pedestrians to cross
and abolishing the red and amber
overlap period Of the lights. The normal
course Of events, and that suggested as
the only legal one in recent report of
the Bureau of Efficiency. is for the
District Commissioners to do nothing
about traffic until the director of traffic
comes IN with recommendation, and
then either approve or disapprove it.
But this Is not Crosbys way. When he
wanted to change the circle lights. he
called in the chief Of police, the traffic
director and the police inspector in
charge OF the Traffic Bureau.
"This Is what want DONE" he said.
His subordinateS did it.
II don't get much time on this lob"
he remarked, as he looked at the paperS
piled up awaiting action. This Ia
probably one Of the real reasons behind
his request for a policeman as an aide
Frank Varney, who got the lob. viii
probably find himself interviewing
numerous disgruntled policemen and
others who come to take the time of
the Commissioner from his work.