Evening star., 1935-10-01
Traffic Regulation
From the Viewpoint
OF the Pedestrian
To the Editor OF The Star:

am sure CnaC many OF your readers
will appreciate the editorial in your issue
of September q on THE Pedestrian
Problem"
am both motorist and pedestrian
and from a rather close observation I
am thoroughly convinced that in 80
out of 100 cases the pedestrian gets
little consideration.
Many mornings 7 cross Pennsylvania
avenue at Nineteenth street. During
the rush hours there is policeman there
directing traffic. but he might just as
well be somewhere else as far as the
pedestrian is concerned. His sole object
seems to be to keep the vehicular traffic
moving, and as there are three or four
traffic lanes and many right and left
turner's, the pedestrian, who is left to
shift for himself, has to take his chance
on daShing half way across the Avenue
when he gets chance and then wait
for an opening in the other traffic to
60 the rest of the way. Frequently
when moving with the traffic across
Nineteenth street. motorists turning the
corner come daShing around, horn
screeching, driving the pedestrians back
upon the sidewalk, but I have yet to see
the officer caution one of them or give
tIlc ptucSIIldll d UIcdh VI ally SOIt.
And, as matter of fact, I have seldom,
if ever, seen an officer take the part of
the pedestrian at a crossing Take any
busy intersection where cars are turning
as an example. What chance has a
pedestrian, crossing with the green light
against cars coming around the corner?
And how many times have you seen an
officer caution a motorist, even much
1nrC rriyrn hi, iolyn fnr. n
the corner, leaning on his horn, and
scattering pedestrians who are merely
trying to take advantage of their right
to cross on the green light?
Before any attempt is made to regulate
pedestrian traffic, or at least concurrently
Herewith, the police department might
make some effort to see that the pedes-
trian gets some of the rights to which he
is by law entitled. JAMES J. HAGEN.
To the Editor OF The Star:
And so the powers that be remark that
San Francisco among other cities, arrests
and fines pedestrians for jay-walking
That is true. However, they neglected
to remark that San Francisco provides
a pedestrian light at every light change,
when no traffic moves and pedestrians
have chance to cross.
am sure that any move to arrest and
fine pedestrians for jay-walking in Wash
ington would meet with determined and
organized opposition unless some kind
of provision be made to restore those
rights which the police department has
allowed motorists to take away from the
pedestrian at street intersections.
1t is not necessary to name long list
nf thncn riuhfc m roll alton
ton to those most often disregarded by
the motorist-every one knows about
them, but few pedestrians risk life and
limb to insist on them.
Every thinking pedestrian is in accord
with program that would fine the arro-
CANT individual who saunters across a
busy street in the middle of the block
and dares motorists to hit him. But
the rest of us-running and lodging
cars in order to get to our destination
would strenuously object to ordinances
that would fine us for crossing a street
at the easiest place to get across.
HAROLD w. LEATH.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Apropos of your editorial in Sundays
Star, Pedestrians Penalties" I suggest
that you station personal representative
on the corner of Vermont avenue and H
street northwest, in front of Veterans
Bureau, between and pm, and watch
pedestrians try to get over on green
light to catch Thirteenth and D or Lin
coin Park cars. The green light interim
is taken up by car drivers making right
and left hand turns What is the pedes-
trian to do? Stand on the corner for
an hour until traffic is over or fight his
way through cars?
This will apply at all heavily congested
corners.
Why not have some common sense
applied to lights and give pedestrians as
much time to cross on an amber light as
automobiles are allowed on green. in the
meantime requiring the automobiles to
stop for few minutes?
r. F. BECKHAM.