The Washington times., 1937-10-30
TRAFFIC SNARLS.
BLAMED ON HIGH.
CAR RATIO HERE.
One Auto for Every 3
Persons in D. c.
Rv WnLTAM A. VAN DUZER

District Of Columbia.
Washington is unique in its traf-
fic problem as in many other re-
spects. It is unlike any other Amer
ican city. We have learned by
experience that traffic solutions
which have proved successful else
where are not altogether applica-
BILE here.
There are factors to be found
here which make the control of
traffic more difficult than in
many American cities with mar
rover streets and fewer natural
facilities for the movement Of
large numbers of persons through
a restricted area in a limited space
Of time.
CAR FOR THREE PERSONS
For the benefit of Washington
motorists, I should like to discuss
some Of our problems briefly in
this article. They arise, among
other things, from these con-
ditions:
/. Washington's high ratio of
one car for every three persons.
There is not another city in the
country where the proportion Of
persons who own or drive cars is
so high.
2. Approximately 10000 Gov
ernment workers come downtown
or pass through the downtown
district twice a day on their way
to and from work. A majority OF
them report and leave their Of
ficeS at the same hours. Other
cities have their factory popula-
tions going to work early, their
office workers following, profeS-
sional and business men report
ing still later, and the shopping
crowds distributed also over a
longer period Of the day than
here.
CIRCLES HANDICAP
3. Washington's street circles
under modern conditions and at
some points are a distinct handi-
cap to the movement of traffic.
At Dupont Circle $1,000 cars,
equal to one-fourth of the total
registration, pour daily into a As
foot roadway from tributary
streets with total width of 243
feet.
4. There are no subways in
Washington.
5. There are no express boule-
wards or speedways to carry the
crowds in and out of the center
Of the city without interfering
with other traffic.
6. We permit parking on down
town streets, thus slowing up
traffic at all hours Of the day.
7. The city has grown in direc-
tionS which are not served by rail-
roads, making it impossible for
SuburbaniteS to commute by rail.
CAN REDESIGN STREETS
Putting all of these factors to-
gether, We have a situation which
IS difficult to deal with, notwith-
standing the wide streets and
beautiful park systems which are
part Of the Washington plan.
What can we do about it?
One thing we could do is to re-
design some of our streets by elm
mating grade crossings, SO that
traffic could move more rapidly
to the city'S outskirts.
We could increase our appro-
priation for traffic lights, in which
we are constantly deficient, since
the city grows and traffic in
creaseS more rapidly than our
funds.
ONE-WAY STREETS
We could have more one-way
streets than we have, for moving
traffic morning and evening.
We could go farther than we
have gone in staggering the hours
Of Government workers, to relieve
the traffic load at peak periods.
We could open our schools at
$50 instead of 9 a. m. and close
them at $3.50 instead of 3 p. M,
in order to keep the children off
the streets during the vehicular
rush periods.
We could redesign some of our
circles to obviate traffic.
We could build a bypass to
carry traffic through Georgetown
to Virginia without congesting the
present streets.
ASKS COOPERATION
At Thirteenth and F Streets in
midday, 5000 pedestrians cross
the intersection in a single hour.
During the morning and evening
rush hours 80 street cars move UP
and down Fourteenth Street be-
tween F. and G Streets every IS
minutes. Washington has out
grown its Swaddling clothes and
become great city! We must
recognize this and act accord
ingly If we are to deal adequately
with our traffic problem.
More than anything else, we
need the understanding and CO.
operation of motorists in dealing
with it. The problem is essen.
TALLY theirs, for it is they who
use the streets. If they will CO.
operate with uS-and they do, to
welcome extent-we will work
out the problem together. It will
take team work to solve it.