Evening star., 1936-03-12
AIRPORT TRAFFIC.
REGULATIONS TO
Be DRAWN TODAY
Offending Motorists Face
$500 Fines or Six
Months in Jail.
u. S. WILL ENFORCE
MILITARY ROAD RULES
Mai. Schroeder and Solomon Are
Conferring on Final
Details.

Regulations which will make Mill
tary road at Washington Airport one
OF the unhealthiest spots In the vicin-
ity of Washington on which to violate
traffic laws are being completed today
by Department of Commerce, Virginia
and airport ofiicialS under the terms
of legislation recently enacted by
Congress.
The regulations now being drafted
will be backed by the legal arm Of
the United States, and motorists who
drive through red lights, park on
the airport runway, or violate other
rules for the safeguarding of air
and ground travel will find them
selves subject to $500 fine or six
months imprisonment.
At q conference today between Maj.
r. w. Schroeder, chief Of the airline
inspection service of the Bureau Of
Air Commerce, and Samuel ]. Solo
mon, manager Of Washington Airport.
final details Of the new regulations
are being completed. The conference
is the result of the submission by Solo
mon to the Secretary Of Commerce Of
the draft of a plan for controlling
trafac on the road.
Order Schedule.
under the terms of the act re-
Gently passed by Congress" Solomon
explained, I'VE believe that in order
to obtain enforcement of the penalty
clauses carried In the act, 1t is neces-
sary for the Secretary Of Commerce
to issue an order empowering the air
port to undertake necessary policing
Of the road to guarantee safety to
all users. To this end, we have worked
out a plan of enforcement which has
been submitted to the Commerce De-
partment, as basis for such an
order"
The Department Of Commerce order
probably viii be issued soon after the
conclusion of today's conference be-
tween Schroeder and Solomon, 1t was
indicated.
The plan submitted by Solomon. 1t
is understood. provides for continu-
ance Of the present traffic lights and
sirens on Military road. The present
guards would be continued but would
be given full police power through
orders deputizing them to make ar
rests. To augment the lights and
guards, it Is proposed to provide bar
riers, which probably viii be heavy
chains across the road.
Enforcement Steps Taken.
Steps already have been taken to
provide for emergency enforcement of
safety regulations at the airport. AL
infractions of the present airport
safety regulations viii be reported to
United States Commissioner John
Barton Phillips at Alexandria, Va,
Solomon said. Violations Of the rules
to be approved by the Department of
Commerce probably will be dealt
with by Commissioner Phillips, 1t was
indicated.
Solomon said he has asked for a
conference with the United States
marshal for the eastern district Of
Virginia, who has headquarters at
Norfolk, Va, and has been told that
the marshal or his representative will
be at the airport before the end of
the week. At this visit plans will be
made to clothe the airport guards with
full police power.
Runway Grading Slated.
With legal authority granted Wash
ington Airport under the ne Military
road act to use The road portion
of the landing field, Solomon is ar
ranging for grading Of the main
airport runway across the road. A
Washington engineering firm now is
engaged in q survey to determine the
amount of fill necessary to bring the
road right of way to level with the
remainder Of the airport 50 that trans
port planes may land on the road or
taxi across it at high speed in landing
or taking of without danger.
Solomon said that automobile trafic
on Military road has fallen of heavily
lately. Recent freezing weather COM
pleted the wrecking Of the paved
surface of the road, already in very
poor condition, he said,, and motor
lists apparently are seeking approaches
to Washington which are in better
condition. -.. ..t...
An actual count of trafic is planned
to show the amount and character of
traffic over the road. The count will
show how many Virginia and how
many District motorists the road,
as well as the number of private cars,
buses and trucks.