Evening star., 1932-03-31
O5TRAFF|C LIGHTS
WILL Be PLACED ON
PROGRESSIVE BASIS
Flexible System TO Be In
stalled at intersections
at Cost of $500.
SECONDARY TIMERS WILL
CONTROL SIGNAL CHANGES
Work to Begin on 10th Street,
Massachusetts, Avenue and 14th
and Rhode Island Ave.

Orders were issued today by Traffic
| Director William A Van Duzer au-
| thorizing the Potomac Electric Power
Co. to transform automatic traffic sig
nails at los intersections to the modern
flexible progressive system of operation
Work will be started within 10 days
and is expected to be completed in
about two months.
The change will be brought about by
the installation of secondary timers in
each of the I05 intersection lights
These secondary timers will be kept in
step by master timers which control
traffic lights in the two automatic sig
nal zones established by the Traffic
Department.
Lights to Be Changed.
Lights on the main traffic arteries
will be the first placed on the flexible
progressive system. Those selected for
immediate attention are on Fifteenth
street between II and V streets, MaSsa-
chusettS avenue between Seventeenth
and Eighteenth streets, Sixteenth street
between 1 street and Florida avenue
ana LDe lDJeISeCtlOH Ol fOuTIeenIL
street and Rhode Island avenue
Other lights to be changed under the
present program are on Tenth street
between E street and Massachusetts
avenue, z street between North Capito
and Thirteenth streets, Thirteenth
street between K street and MaSsachu-
setts avenue, G street between Ninth
and Fourteenth streets. Seventh street
between D street and New York avenue
Sixth street between Louisiana aver IN
and NJ street, K street between Tenth
and Eighteenth streets, Massachusetts
avenue between Tenth and Thirteenth
streets. New York avenue between Elev-
enth and Twelfth streets, and the in
terSection of Fifteenth street and New
York avenue.
Installation Of the secondary timer.
is estimated to cost $500. The work
while done by electricians of the power
company, will be supervised by the elec-
trical department of the District.
Can Flash Signals.
The flexible progressive system al
ready is in operation on Rhode Islanc
avenue, and its success in increasing tht
efficiency of the flow of traffic on tha
thoroughfare convinced Traffic Director
Van DuZer of the wisdom of adopting
it for other automatic signals. Tht
chief advantage of the new system j.
said to be the possibility of adjusting
timing of lights at each intersection u
meet varying traffic conditions.
Another feature of the progressive
system, according to Mr.. Van DuZer, i!
an arrangement which permits conver.
sion of the lights into flashing beacon.
in the early morning hours when the
regular signal system is not in opera.
ton. A combination red and amber
signal is used in the flashing arrange
ment which serves as a warning to a
driver that he is approaching an inter-
section and should exercise extreme
caution.
Timing of the los intersection lights
to be placed on the progressive system
has been worked out on a basis OF
traffic flow over a seven-hour period al
each intersection. Traffic counts tC
determine the timing were made by %
unemployed men whose services were
engaged through the District Unem-
ployment Committee
Mr. Van DuZer pointed out that the
flexible progressive system is being
adopted by a number of cities where
traffic light modernization is underway
Outstanding among these cities are
Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York
Chicago and Los Angeles.