RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 31, 6 August 1923, Page 4

RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC

WHY RUSH THE FIRST CAR?

AMERICAN ADVICE THAT APPLIES TO WELLINGTON.

An interesting extract from the "Winnipeg Electric Railway News" is included in the weekly bulletin of the Wellington Corporations Tramway Department, to which extract is appended by the Traffic Manager, Mr. D. M. M'Gillivray, quite a short note:' "Exactly. We could tender the same advice and under the same conditions in Wellington."

Here is the extract:—

"An interesting summary on transit conditions in fourteen large cities in the United States has recently been made to the New York Transit Commission, by supervising inspectors of the commission. One of the principal objects of the.trip was to study 'rush hour' conditions in the cities visited, and the report on this subject. gives the following conclusions:—

An inspection and analysis of service and traffic in the fourteen cities showed us that the 'rush hour' conditions are practically the same all over. Through some contributory cause' the loading may be a little above or below the average, but taking the entire system m each of the cities during the rush hours you will find very little difference in the density of the loading. "Due to the abnormal increase in traffic during the 'rush' hours' over the other hours of the day, the companies find it necessary to carry a great number of passengers standing, and these conditions are no worse in New York as far as the street traffic cars are concerned than any other cities. "Winnipeg and every other large city in Canada might just as well have come within the scope of tho investigators' findings; wherever you.go you find the' extremely heavy demand on street car service for periods of about one hour in the morning and two hoars in the atfernono. One of the 'cnotributory' causes' referred to in the report, which we adopt in order to facilitate the handling of 'rush hour: traffic, is the placing of special car men on the loading platforms at busy intersection points' with tare boxes and thus expedite tho loading of the cars. Another 'contributory cause towards handling the situation satisfactorily is the co-operation which many thoughtful car riders of Winnipeg shows us, in boarding the car quickly and having the exact fare ready. Further'consideration could be given if passengers would not crowd for the first car that comes along. On every down town route we have a quick headway, which is increased considerably by extra cars during the 'rush hours,'' and to overload the first car that comes along upsets schedules and does not get you home any sooner."