Evening star., 1934-10-24
AIRPORT MANAGER
DRAFTS REPLY ON
TRAFFIC CONTROL
Hopes, However, Fort Myer
Commander Will Permit
Lights to Stay. III
HOLDS ACTION TAKEN
TO SAFEGUARD PUBLIC
Tells Aviation Commission Use
of New Transports Makes
Measure Essential.


mobile traffic on Military road across
Washington Airport, scene of several
near escapes from collisions between
motor vehicles and airplanes. reached
new crisis today as Samuel Solo,
mon, manager of the airport. drafted
reply to a demand from Col. Ken
yon Joyce, commanding officer at
Fort Myer, Va, for information as
to authority for erection of the pres
ent traffic lights there.
Solomon, it was indicated, will re-
ply that no authority exists for the
lights, but will appeal for the right
to maintain them as a protection to
the lives of motorists and airline pas
sengers and crews.
The lights have been operated for
months and have virtually eliminated
the danger of collisions formerly ex-
istent. A test of their legality was
precipitated october 3 when an
Army truck from Fort Myer, ignor-
ing the lights, drove through against
a stop signal and narrowly escaped
a collision with an airplane.
Solomon Wrote Protest.
Solomon, with no authority to stop
the truck, wrote a protest to Col.
Joyce requesting that for the sake of
safety Army vehicles be required to
obey traffic signals when crossing the
airport. as other drivers are doing
voluntarily.
In reply Solomon received letter
from Col. Joyce in which he said:
May I ask the date that this light
was installed on United States Gov
ernment property, and by what au-
thority such action was taken?"
Appearing before the Aviation
Commission yesterday afternoon, Sol
omon testified that absolute control OF
all automobile traffic across the air.
port is vital in the interest of safety,
especially with the proposed Eastern
Airlines high-speed New York-Miami
transport service at hand. The new
2OO-miles- -per-hour Douglas transports
to be used in this service will require
the full length of both halves of the
airport for landings and take-offs,
Solomon said, and the road must be
closed to automobiles at such times.
Admits Lack of Authority.
Solomon admitted to the Commis-
sion that he had installed the present
traffic lights, without authority, after
several near collisions between cars
and airplanes. He said he had ex-
hausted every means of obtaining au-
thority either to close Military road
or regulate traffic passing across the
airport. He said he had offered to the
Government. without charge, land for
by-passing Military road around the
airport.
There seemed nothing left but to
take the matter into my own hands"
he said. II petitioned the Arlington
County Board for permission to erect
traffic lights and my request was
granted. The board, however, had no
more authority to sanction the estab-
lishment of those lights than had.
put up the lights and am glad to
say the motoring public has given
splendid cooperation by obeying them
without question"
Solomon said that unquestionably
Col. Joyce has authority to order the
lights taken down.
"I hope they will be permitted to
remain" he told the commission. Il
think the safety of lives and property
more than justifies their existence.
even though they are there without
authority"
Traffic Control Essential.
Recent developments make it more
than ever essential that airport traffic
be controlled, Solomon said today. Not
only are the new high-speed transport
planes expected in the near future, but
a contract was awarded yesterday by
the Goodyear Zeppelin Corp. for con-
struction at the airport of small
airship hangar. The contract, it is
understood, was awarded at Akron
to the construction firm of Austin &
Cleveland and work is expected to
begin within a week.
The hangar is to be erected on the
former Hoover Field end of the air.
port and probably will result in a
still further increase Of air traffic
across Military road. The hangar, to
measure 165 by 65 feet. with height
of IS feet, is expected to cost about
S55.000.
Solomon told the Federal Aviation
Commission that the problem of an
airport in Washington is a Federal
matter. He renewed his offer to sell
the airport property to the Govern
ment at a price fixed by disinterested
or to submit it to condem-
nation, If no method can be worked out
for continuing its safe operation by
private capital. The airport now is
paying a profit and is one Of the very
few airports in the world which pays
for itself, he said.
Airport Is Important.
Probably 80 per cent of the incoming
by airplane come to Wash
ington to transact business with the
United States Government. Solomon
testified.
1T becomes increasingly important"
he said, that there should be de-
veloped an airport for Washington
adequate in size and with gufhcient