Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-01-26
REPORT ON TRAFFIC
MADE BY CITIZENS
Consistent and Energetic
Action Required, According
to Groups Report.


that to repledy them will require con-
Sistent and energetic action on the
part of authorities and effective sup
port by the public, the Interfedera-
ton Conference was told in q report
submitted last week by its Special
Trafic Committee.
Thereport-six typewriter pages
the result Of three months OF In
tensive study by the committee, con-
tains q survey of the needs OF the
traflc situation and numerous pro-
posals for improvement. Although
certain portions deal with conditions
In nearby Maryland and Virginia, the
report is directed principally at Dis
trict regulations and enforcement.
When it was placed before the con-
ference last Monday the report met
opposition almost Immediately. The
Traffic Committee had asked for I'M
mediate action, but several delegates
protested, declaring they felt certain
proposals In the report were too far
reaching" to be voted upon without
study.
Report to BE STUDIED.
The conference then voted to give
each member body an opportunity to
consider the report before final action
is taken at the February meeting.
The member bodies are the District
Federation of Citizens Associations
and the civic declarations OF Mont
eomery, Prince Georges and Arlington
counties.
One of the delegates who opposed
Immediate action by the conference
was Thomas E. Lodge, youthful pres
ident of the Districts central civic
BODY, who later in the meeting was
elected president Of the conference.
Lodge declared many statements
made by the committee were not sup
ported by facts. He referred spe-
cifically to the statement that the
District of Columbia has reasonably
complete and up-to-date traffic laws
and regulations except as to
the speed regulations. which differ
from those of any other State or city,
and should be revised IN harmony
with the uniform code" (the code OF
the National Conference on Street
and Highway Safety.
Lodge declared he was unaware the
District is behind the times" in its
speed regulations just because they
do not conform to the uniform code
mentioned.
Decision Deferred.
II do not feel could commit my
self for my federation on this report
until the other members have had a
chance to study it," he declared. Il
do not agree with number Of state
ments made by the committee and I
feel some OF the proposals are too far
reaching in their final effects to be
acted upon at a glance"
The committee stated, in opening
its report: Conditions of traffic in
the District of Columbia are so dis
orderly that the increasing fatality
and accident rates Of recent years are
not surprising. 1t is the purpose OF
this report to point out some of the
directions in which we believe effort
can be most profitably applied to Sc
cure a substantial improvement"
It was pointed out Nation wide
campaign has been launched by the
National Safety Council to reduce ac-
cidents IS per cent by l941. The COM
mittee said this seems very moder-
ate objective and one which it hopes
the District will surpaSs at an earlier
date.
The committee urged member bodies
to support adoption in their respective
jurisdictions of traffic laws and regu-
lations in accord with the most recent
editions of the uniform vehicle code
and the model traffic ordinances.
Safety Needs.
I'm the interest Of safety, there Is
much to be desired in all three juris-
dictions in the way of street and
highway improvements, the commit
tee declared. "Arterial streets and
highways should be made adequate to
the demands of trafic, narrow and
winding roadways should be corrected,
sharp turns and blind points should
be eliminated and, in general, the
street and highway system Of the
metropolitan area Of Washington
should be brought up to the best
modern standards. Lighting of streets
ana highways should also be improved
and extended. A substantial amount
Of work in these directions Is being
carried on now. This should be con-
tinued and pushed forward on larger
scale until conditions for traffic have
become satisfactory"
The committee urged that the trafic
signs, signals and other traffic control
devices In the three Jurisdictions be
as speedily as practicable brought into
complete agreement with the manual
Of uniform trafiic control devices, is
sued jointly by the American ASSOC
1ation Of State Highway Oflicials and
the National Conference on Street
and Highway Safety.
The committee stressed the need
Tor continued efforts for traffic educa-
ton in the schools, among the en-
ployes of business organizations and
public agencies and among the gen.
eral public.
The conference already is on rec
ord in favor of the bill now pending
to provide for semi-annual mechanical
inspection Of all automobiles regis
tered in the District. The commit
tee recommended to the authorities
OF Maryland and Virginia that ways
and means for improving the effec-
tiveness Of the inspections now re-
CURED IN those jurisdictions be care
fully studied and that the necessary
steps be taken promptly, including
arrangements for having semi annual
inspection
More Police Needed.
The necessity of q Substantial in
crease In the number of policemen
available for trafiic work in the Wash
ington area. particularly in the Dis
trict. also was stressed by the trafic
study group. The committee believes
police officers assigned to trafIlc duties
shoiIId receive special instruction In