Evening star., 1931-06-18
VAN DUzER PLANS
TRAFFIC STUDY TO
PRECEDE CHANGES
New Director to Open Survey
in Business Section and
ArteriaI Highways.
OTHER PROBLEMS HELD
TO BE WHOLLY LOCAL
Plan Also to Be Devised to Approve
Titles to 10000 Cars
in District.

Washington's traffic situation will
undergo a thorough engineering study
before any fundamental readjustments
are made in existing regulations or con-
troll systems, it was disclosed today by
William A. Van Duzer, who, July /,
becomes director of the newly created
department of motor vehicles and traffic
The downtown business section will
be studied first under Mr.. Van Duzer's
concentrated on the arterial highways
which feed the greatest volume of traf-
nc into the congested area.
Mr.. Van Duzer's observations since he
has been in Washington have led him
to the conclusion that the major traf-
nc problemA are in the downtown sec
ton and on the arterial highways.
These two problems, therefore, are the
hrst to be solved.
Seeks Speed and Safety.
Outside the congeSted area away
from the arterial highways. Mr. Van
Duzer believes traffic is fairly we'll self
controlled, and except for some indi-
vidual problem, peculiar to the neigh
borhood, will demand little attention.
These problems. however, will not be
overlooked in his efforts to improve
general traffic conditions.
4bIOuS1lOub OllC uOhIllOhu AREA ENHTY
phase Of traffic regulation and control
is to be studied with a view to expe-
diting vehicular movement and at the
same time providing an added degree
OF safety for pedestrians. One thing
Mr.. Van DuZer intends to insist on.
he explained, is that pedestrians cross
intersections with traffic and not
against it.
Mr.. Van Duzer said it would be his
policy to install traffic control signals
only at such intersections where an
engineering study shows the actual
need, tempered, of course with local
conditions In some sections, he point
ed out, the location of a school. might
justify the placing of a signal, that
otherwise might not be necessary for
traffic control alone.
Would Reduce Delays
Aside from making the streets and
highways safer for pedestrians and
motorists alike, Mr.. sVan Duzer proposes
to work out plan to avoid unnecessary
delays in the movement of trafic. De-
lays are costly. particularly to the mer-
chants. he said, and result in a large
economic loss
The cost of operating a delivery truck,
he declared, averages about 81 an hour
Thus, il the truck is delayed Is min
utes out of every hour in traffic, he cx-
planned, it loses two hours time in each
eight hours, adding So to the expense of
operation each day.
Such loss of efficiency. Mr. Van Duzer
said, is expensive. In fact, he declared,
the manager of enc larger delivery firm
in Washington told him his trucks were
only about 25 per cent efficient because
OF delays encountered in traffic.
Whatever the rqIlSo Of fhace da1axs
Mr.. Van Duzer proposes to find out and
apply remedy. If it be traffic lights,
and the engineering study shows that
they are net necessary at certain loca-
tions, he intends to have them removed
and placed at points where the survey
reveals lights are needed. If stop signs
are contributing to these delays and
their need found to be unwarranted,
these too, are to be taken away.
In other words traffic is to be han
died as scientifically and efficiently as
possible, but with safety remaining as
the dominant controlling factor in its
regulation.
Traffic regulation and control. how
ever, is only one phase of the problem
confronting Mr.. Van Duzer, though it
be the most important. In less than
six months he must work out and in
troduce plan for titling more than
10000 motor vehicles in accordance
with the new certificate of title law.
Mr.. Van Duzer is now engaged in
making survey of the traffic problem
in Potomac Park for the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission,
but he expects to have this completed
and be ready to take over his important
work of directing the traffic destinies
of the District July /, when the new
department of motor vehicles and traf-
flc officially comes into existence.