Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-21
Van Duzer Places
Traffic Solution
Cost al 10 Million
Lights at q Hundred
Dangerous intersections
Called Immediate Need

An expenditure of about $40 OOO,-
600 or SIS 100000 dollars would be
necessary to launch an adequate
and long-range solution of WASH
ington's traffic problems, Traffic
Director William A. Van Duzer esti-
mated today.
A more exact figure will be ar
rived at, Mr.. Van Duzer said, with
the completion of the highway sur
vey now being conducted by the
Public Road Administration and
the District authorities.
OF more immediate Importance,
however, than the establishment of
enterprises and overpasses at some
OF the city's "bottlenecks" would be
the immediate installation of traffic
lights at some 100 of the Districts
dangerous intersections, Mr.. Van
Duzer added.
Hits Back at Critics.
Mr.. Van Duzer struck back at
critics, who have claimed his de-
partment has received everything it
mas asked, asserting appropriations
for the Department of Vehicles and
Traffic have never matched our re.
quests"
'Of the $177,420 spent for salaries
IN his office" the traffic director
said, only about $4,000 can be
use for traffic engineering. The
remainder goes to persons engaged
in the inspection of cars, keeping
OF records, issuance of tags, permits
and titles. Those people are not
working on the flow of traffic"
He advocated at least six addi-
tional traffic engineers to help facil-
1tate the movement of traffic. He
expressed the belief also that an
increase in the speed limit, under
present conditions, would not greatly
increase the flow of traffic in con-
gested areas, but would increase the
number of fatal accidents.
On this point, Mr.. Van Duzer en-
phaslzed, he would much rather make
traffic safer than faster, expressing
the view that it is better to save a
life than to help some one get home
q few minutes sooner.
. First Long Range Project.
While Washington likes to boast
about its wide highways, surveys
have shown that the National Cap
1tal has less street area in the
congested section than any other
city except Los Angeles, he said.
n New York, he pointed out, has mar
row streets, but its blocks are short
and it has more lanes for the move
ment OF traffic in its downtown
area.
With reference to adequate and
permanent improvement of traffic
conditions here, Mr.. Van Duzer de-
scribed the Thomas Circle under
pass, now being completed, as the
first "long-range project" to facil-
atate the movement of traffic.
Pointing to other conditions and
changes to be considered for ade-
quate improvement, the traffic di-
rector said:
I'VE have to think of taking Six
teenth street under Scott Circle;
" sinking Connecticut avenue from
around Florida avenue to a point in
the vicinity of the White House;
building a three-level intersection
at Fifteenth and H streets NE, and
other projects"
All these, he pointed out, would
take time and lots of money. Fol
immediate safety measures, he urged
additional traffic lights and said: 81
would rather see those intersections
protected and some lives saved be-
fore begin fretting about getting
home from work a few minutes
faster"
Mr.. Van Duzer said the city needs
q central control system for traffic
lights and the --latest refinements'
In traffic lights.