Evening star., 1938-12-30
Pedestrian Law
Action Delayed
ByD.C. Heads
Hozen, McCooch to
Study Demands
Made at Hearing
BY DON S. WARREN.

Mo0e at nearing
BY DON S. WARREN.
District Commissioners Hazen
and McCoach conferred today on
the plans for pedestrian control and
decided to delay acting on them
until they had time to make a care
full analysis of the wide variety of
demands and suggestions voiced at
the public hearing yesterday.
While declining for the time to
make direct statements on the issues
raised in the debate, the Commits
sioners indicated they would modify
and revise the comprehensive two
fold plan from the form in which it
had been offered for public con-
sideration, If they adopted pedes-
TRAN measures.
They indicated they would reject
that section of the proposed regula-
tons to forbid pedestrians crossing
streets anywhere other than at
crosswalks at any intersection
throughout the District, but they
found substantial support at the
hearing for some limited form Of
rules for pedestrian protection"
May Await Advisers Views.
What their final conclusion would
be was not indicated at once. Com
missioner Hazen said it was prob
able final decision would be with
held until after a report was re-
ceived from the Commissioners
Traffic Advisory Council. Whitney
Leary. council president, announced
yesterday the body had refrained
from taking any position, pending
the outcome of the hearing.
A majority of the two score wit
nesses gave general support to some
measure of pedestrian control, in
Guiding spokesmen for the Fedora
ton of Citizens Association, the
Board Of Trade. the Rotary Club,
the Community Center Department,
the District Motor Club of the Am
erican Automobile Association, the
Keystone Automobile Club and vari-
GUS individual citizens associations
as well as the Traffic Department.
Ideas as to the method, scope and
details varied.
There was a persistent chorus OF
demands, at the same time, for some
means of assuring pedestrians safe
crossing at intersections. with SUBJ
stantial support for provision of Pc
destrians walk" lights or lengthen-
ing of the yellow signals and devot-
ing this portion of the light cycle
exclusively to pedestrian movements.
Turn Factor Brought Up.
While many witnesses favored
some measure of pedestrian regula-
tion, number of these denounced
the present system, or any new set
Of rules. under which the rights of
pedestrians crossing on proper sig
mails could be taken from them by
drivers of vehicles making right or
left hand turns, also proceeding on
proper signals.
Many witnesses protested against
inclusion of the portion of the pro-
posed plan requiring pedestrians to
cross streets only at crosswalks
Only handful of witnesses voiced
objection to any form of regulation
and only a few gave unqualified in
dorsement to the two-fold plan as
sponsored by Traffic Director Will
liam A. Van Duzer. The first Sec
ton Of this proposed two-fold plan
provided that pedestrians must obey
the signals of police officers and
traffic lights.
Corporation Counsel Elwood H
Seal said it should be understood
that if the Commissioners adopted
this section Of the proposed plan
and rejected the other section, the
so-called "jaywalk" section, the re-
suit would be that, while pedes-
trians would be required to obey
traffic officers and signal lights,
they still could cross in the middle
Of block, even in the congested
downtown section.
Connecticut Plan Suggested.
George E. Keneipp for the Key
stone Club, who voiced general
favor for the program, suggested a
substitute for the twofold plan,
basing it on the principles in the
Connecticut law. He proposed a
rule reading:
mo pedestrian shall use any street
or highway negligently or reck-
lessly; or willfully fail to obey the
signal of any traffic officer or the
instructions of any traffic signal de-
vice; or recklessly disregard his own
safety or the safety of any person
by his use of any street or highway"
The District Motor Club voiced
approval of the principles of the
pending twofold plan, but added that
pedestrian regulation should be ac-
companied by various adjustments
of physical facilities. It recon-
mended provision of a special signal
for pedestrians; changes in the
timing of signal lights; strict en-
forcement of the pedestrian right
OF way over vehicles making left
and right turns on the green light,
and provision Of safety islands on
unusually wide intersections.
Calls for Light Changes.
L. A. Carruthers, president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
who approved of pedestrian regula-
ton in principle, said it could not
be enforced unless changes were
made in the system of traffic lights.
Harry Wender, chairman of the
Safety Committee of the Federation,
said the group sought provision of
walk" and don't walk" lights. He
was outspoken in objection to the
full -fledged control plan offered at
the hearing.
Col. Lawrence G. Crawford, chair
man of the Traffic Committee of the
Board of Trade, approved the two
fold proposed plan in general with
the proviso that the plan be coupled
with means of assuring protection
for the pedestrian when obevinq the