Evening star., 1935-11-11
WARNING GONCS
URCEDFOR SAFETY
Veteran Driver Also Sug.
geSts Left-Turn Ban and
Control of Pedestrians.

SOiiti vi W i CUCol u totios
Warning gongs to reinforce traffic
lights at isolated intersections, aboli-
ton Of left turns in the downtown
section of the city, rigid control OF
pedestrians, limitation of the number
of taxicabs and reduction of the
number of no-parking signs where no
enforcement is provided are among
suggestions made for the improvement
of local traffic conditions in a letter
received by The Evening Star Safety
Council from Guido r. de Nuccio.
7542 Twelfth street.
Mr. de Nuccio, who has driven auto
mobiles for Is years without accident,
holds a safety star emblem awarded
him in Pennsylvania after Is years
of driving without accident and has
signed Star safe driving pledge.
Cites False Economy"
He characterizes the failure of the
Budget Bureau and Congress to grant
the request of Maj. Ernest w. Brown.
superintendent of police, and the Dis
trict Commissioners for additional
policemen as false economy" which
will cost whole lot more to the
people through accidents and rob-
beries''
Dealing with the suggestion that
bells be used to supplement traffic
signal lights. Mr.. de Nuccio said:
This is certainly an excellent idea.
but I would apply them only to those
isolated lights that anybody unfamiliar
with the city may pass unnoticed.
Urging the abolition of the left turn
In the downtown section. the writer
said: How can a pedestrian cross
a street in safety with cars turning
in front and back of him? Is it not
much better to forbid left turns and
compel all drivers to 60 around an
extra block?"
Urges Pedestrian Control.
On the subject of pedestrian control,
Mr. de Nuccio said
why are they not regulated as
strictly as the drivers? The greatest
majority of us play both rolls of pedes-
trians and drivers and We ought to
see the problem from both sides. AS
1t jars us to see a driver making
faux pas, when we are walking. like
wise it jars a driver to see pedestrian
cross street in the middle of block.
where it should be his privilege to go
safely at the normal allowed speed
instead Of having to look continually
for jay walkers. Even at crossings.
many times the two rows of cars have
e. 1,tv 10 nf
the pedestrians closing in and wanting
to cross on red light"
The city authorities should take
steps to deal with 1.-The abnormal num-
Der of taxis circulating empty at
low cruising speed and stopping at
crossings as anywhere else to pick up
passengers" in the opinion of the
writer. He suggested that cabs be
divided into shifts. as is done in some
European cities, each cab being marked
to denote the shift to which it belongs
and being barred from the streets
when off duty.
Would Charge Parkers.
On the matter of no-parking signs
he suggested that the authorities,
without any hesitation remove all
those signs which are not strictly,
absolutely. necessary, then require that
the remaining ones be respected
Now, in city as automobile econ
gested as Washington" he concluded.
"no-parking signs should be used very
sparingly and I think 1t would not be
far from wrong to ask for payment
for the steady occupation of the public
streets. If half of the population of
this city goes day in and day out every
day to Offices or stores and park their
cars free for the whole day, why should
the other half of the tax-paying pop
ulation have to go around for blocks
and blocks without finding a chance
to park for even short time their
cars? The city charges people for oc-
cupation Of public ground by the
square foot and is 1t not occupied
public ground from morning to night
the nearly 100 square feet that car
takes up?
Why is not something positive done
Immediately to improve these condi-
tions? Every death or accident hap
pening in the city should remind those
in power that they are also partly re-
sponsible for that death or accident
by allowing conditions to be what
they are at present"