Evening star., 1937-10-24
By Mary Jane Moore.


fVt things of which the ancients
4 ' L knew nothing, had better not
include traffic problems. For the
pages of history disclose that as far
back as the days of the Caesars "the
grandeur that was Rome" was little
dimmed by vexations resulting from
highway puzzles quite comparable to
those of today.
To the woman driver goes the dis
tinction of being the first problem
'schild in the ages-long story of traffic
regulation. 1t all began in 396 BIC,
when the Law of Camilius gave Ro-
man matrons unrestricted right to
tool their chariots through the streets
of the Eternal City. And that started
something-actually 200 years of agi-
tation against such concession. Gen.
Grafton after generation of male pro-
test finally resulted in there being
written into the famous Lex Oppia
prohibition against women even
, owning chariots.
After many decades of enjoying
spins in their two-wheeled open
eoupes, however, the women of Rome
did not accept this outlawing grace
fully. In fact, they fought vigorously
Tor restoration of their right to drive,
hnally, in 180 BIC, storming the capi-
tol itself. There they behaved like
80 many suffragettes remember?)
and Gained down only when Marcus
porcius Cato, thoroughly alarmed by
the feminist demonstration, mounted
the rostrum and made flaming plea
for women''s rights. His by now iit-
terry colleagues decided the better part
of valor was to grant the women's
demands, and they did.
Julius Caesar took in his stride the
building of Appian Ways, discover
Ing all Gaul was divided into ''partes
tres" and conquering wildernesses full
of wild men. But he, like many a big
city police commissioner of today,
was temporarily stumped when it
came to figuring out how to get crowds
out of the theater district quickly
and without confusion. The problem
confronted him whenever the Circus
Maximus staged chariot race, gladi-
storial combat or other event that
drew we'll"
Eventually he found a solution. He
acted decisively by closing the whole
congested area to all except foot traf-
dc. For 10 hours after sunrise all
vehicles had to be left on the out
skirts. This was the first recorded
case of banning all downtown driving
as we'll as parking.
The manner in which Caesars die
tum was enforced leaves no doubt
that the modern traffic cop had
counterpart in imperial Rome. Gen.
turions, who got their title from the
fact that they each commanded 100
. men, assumed stop-go manner in
ell main thoroughfares and turned
back all except those on foot.
The streets of ancient Rome were
not the kind modern city planner
would countenance for a second.
Thereby came the bane of many mo-
torists, the one-way thoroughfare.
The Romans discovered that when
two hand chairs, for instance, met in
narrow byway all traffic stopped
while the. tried to pass, often, doubt
less, at the expense of some of the
paint on their tenders. One-way
streets became imperative and they
were designated in much the same
manner as the modern traffic phe-
non1enon of the same name.
Romans did not always profit by
lessons taught in their various en-
counters with traffic problems. Five
hundred years later. after the VAN
dals sacked the city and virtually de-
stroyed the civilization and culture of
the empire, the city was rebuilt, ac-
cording to the historian Livy, with
the same narrow winding streets. Ro-
mans then were obsessed with the no.
ton that wider streets mean more sun
shine and, accordingly. more sickness,
so one-way rules remained necessary.
But Rome was not alone in having
traffic puzzles. Over in Carthage
chariots. carts and pedestrians were
constantly arguing the right of way.
1t was the same in Athens and other
large concentrations of population
Medieval communities, like those OF
ancient times, also had traffic prob
lens. The cities, surrounded by walls
for protection, we're arbitrarily limited
in area and as result we're anything
but profligate in the space they de-
voted to streets. Narrow, winding
lanes were the general rule.
One-way streets made their appear
ance in America nearly two centuries
ago, coincidentally with the theater
district traffic jam. When the famous
John Street Theater in New York had
Its gala opening the overwhelming
number of coaches -and-fours made it
necessary to proclaim one-way streets
near the playhouse. Commenting hu-
n1orously on the incident, two Gotham
papers of that time, more prophetic
than they realized, suggested double
decking Broadway and voiced belief
that viaducts for pedestrians might
some day be needed at intersections.
Speed regulations in America date
back, not to the advent of the motor
vehicle but to the year 1878, and the
frst accident ascribable to too fast
for conditions" In Newport, R. l.,
child was run down by an equestrian
bIlQ bileIce Wdo ElCdo PuohS AiioASAo
ton. The outcry resulted in the Co.
lonial Assembly writing or the statute
| books:
Whereas there was very lately in
the town of Newport very create hurt
done to small childe by reason of
exceeding fast and hard riding of
r horses in said towne, this assembly
takeing the matter into their serious
consideration of being desirous for the
future to prevent the like mischief,
doe ordain, ct cetera, that from and
after the publication hereof, if any
person or persons shall presume to
ride on either horse, mare or gelding,
gallup or to run speed-in the streets
of Newport-said person shall for his
offense pay into the treasurer of said
towne shillings in money in demand;
2 shilling of which shall be paid to
any person or persons that shall give
H., ~f1 11A .