Evening star., 1936-02-17
VAN DUzER WE|GHS|
MILWAUKEE PLAN
Considers Application Of
Safety Principles to
District Traffic.

The Milwaukee plan which stresses
the three Els" of safety-engineer-
ing. enforcement and education-1s
being given thorough study by Trafhc
Director William A. Van Duzer for
possible application to the puzzllng
washington traffic problem.
officials of President Roosevelt's
National Accident Prevention Unit
have announced, according to the AS
sociated Press, that the plan which
has enabled Milwaukee to become the
safest large city in America Will be
taken to the country. A pamphlet
now being prepared, describing the
methods employed in the Wisconsin
city, will be used as text book in
the Civilian Conservation Corps
camps and will be available for gen.
eral use in schools and to civic or
eanizations in cities throughout the
country.
Van Duzer has been making study
for several weeks of the program de-
veloped by Milwaukee authorities and
hopes to be able to apply many of its
safety features to Washington traffic
conditions, which have been the sub
tect of investigation recently.
Death Toll Cut.
1.-THE effectiveness of the Milwaukee
plan is shown in its traffic fatality
list, which has decreased each year
for the past five years." Van Duzer
said. while Washington's has been
mounting steadily, Milwaukee's has
gone down from 102 in 1881 to IS
last year.
Many traffic problems here are
peculiar to this city, where we have
rush-hour conditions of the greatest
intensity. Between am. and 6 pm.
$4,000 bus passengers, $4,000 street
car passengers and $4,000 private car
passengers enter a restricted area
bounded by Constitution avenue
Sixth street, L street and Nineteenth
street.
ANY time $4,000 persons enter g
small area such as I've described
there are bound to be traffic problems
We don't believe We can eliminate al
our troubles by following Milwaukee:
methods. but they should help great
deal"
Adult Education Difficult.
Van Duzer pointed out that no one
Of the three "E's" Is sufficient Il
reduce traffic injuries and fatalities
Education in the schools has proved
effective, he said, in cutting accident!
involving children. but adults art
more difficult to reach. He explained
that Milwaukee has attacked the prob
lem by the use of traffic lanes fo
cars, which makes it possible fo
pedestrians to know where to lool
for cars at intersections; by the us
of islands in the middle of wild
streets, which give pedestrians
breathing space, and at some bus,
intersections, installation Of trafh
light which flashes a special sigma
for pedestrians to cross but which re-
strains all motor traffic.
Speed But One Evil.
Enforcement is another factor an,
an important one" Van Duzer de
clared. we have been paying specia
attention to speeding during the pas
month and the effort has produce,
results, believe. That is only on
phase of enforcement, however. ant
we should have larger force to cop
with our problem effectively.
"As for engineering, there is mucl
we could do in the way of safet,
islands, additional traffic signs anc
lights, and provisions for inspecting
all cars annually
"The Milwaukee experience show.
that results can be obtained when thu
problem is attacked along every line
Its record Of Ill fatalities per 100,.
600 population as compared with thu
average rate throughout the Nation o.
2S.5 per 100000 population, proves it.