Evening star., 1934-02-11

signs along the streets of the Ma
about as many proportiOnally ex
try? One often forgets the mum
cities upon returning to Washin
ever fresh before one.
Therefore, the good of traffic sig
mails and lights-call them necessary
evils if you Wish-lays in the benefits
TO driving and not in ones individ-
ual taste. Benefits to walking also
should be recognized.
Sees Accident Reduction.
William A. Van Duzer, director of
the Department of Motor Vehicles and
Traffic, declares that accidents are
being reduced, traffic is flowing easier,
and last, but not least, pedestrians are
being afforded greater assistance to
safety. Not on every street are condi-
tons satisfactory, he admits. but he
does maintain that general conditions
are improved.
Mr.. Van DuZer points out that ac-
cidents on Pennsylvania avenue since
the installation of the traffic lights
have been reduced rs per cent. Six
months prior to the change. he said
there were 40 accidents. During the
six months of operation only 10 have
been recorded. Improvements on other
streets, much more narrow, have been
noted also, he states.
To aid in the speeding up of traffic
on the Avenue, Mr.. Van Duzer is plan
ming a change in the timing system
again, so that machines may travel
faster and not have to wait for the
lights to change.
The traffic director is fully con-
vinced that the one-way plan on Thir
teenth street has proved a success.
Official counts show, he states, that
many more machines travel on the
thoroughfare in one direction at a
given time, particularly during the
rush hours. than machines Travelled in
both directions before the change was
made.
He still has his eye on Eighteenth
and Nineteenth streets for one-way
thoroughfares and is only awaiting
favor from other members of the
Traffic Advisory Council.
Estimated number of automobiles in
Washington is 100000 The Bureau
of Public Roads estimates that an ad-
ditional 100000 cars from other States
come in daily. This record was re-
checked by traffic officials here and
found to be correct. Philadelphia and
New York. with many times greater
population than the National Capital,
have proportionately many less cars
registered.
So maybe conditions are pretty good
here, after all.
Trade Show Successful.
According to officials of the Wash
ington Automotive Trade Association,
the show here was complete success.
The attendance records slightly ex-
ceeded last year and would have been
considerably more. it is claimed, if it
were not for the bad weather coming
along at the time of the exhibition.
Sales of cars were way up. far sur
passing those recorded during the
three previous shows. Prosperity
times of the last decade were almost
reached by many dealers.
Optimism is felt by the trade asso-
ctation here and factory indications
are expressed by the planning of large
productions.
The perfection in motor cars. nearly
attained. according to the show de-
scriptions. is not yet completely at
hand To the average motorist the
current models which glide almost
silently along the highways represent
nearly the ultimate in design, whether
they be SKIES, eights, twelves or six
teens. but the automotive engineer is
not satisfied, according to Associated
Press reports
There still are many noises to be
eliminated and the automotive engi-
neers have many of them classified,