STREET CONGESTION

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 25

STREET CONGESTION

PROBLEM IN AMERICA

A' 'WANT' OF UNIFORMITY

"The American Engineering Council, recognising the present confusion in controlling street traffic in the citie3 of the United States by reason of the lack of uniformity hi lights and their meaning, has'undertaken to recommend certain standard practices for the guidance of different cities in installing traffic signals," states an American paper. "The wide divergence in the meaning of lights in various localities makes it all but impossible for the automobile driver'to'Obey*the signals"in.|cities in which h'6 is .not familiar' with the code of• signals/■': \: •

"The green light has come to be generally recognised a? the proceed signal and the red as the stop." Everyone is familiar with the railroad signals, and while Ahese have recently been subject to change on several railways, the red light is usually regarded by the public as- a danger-signal.. Thus, by .defining, the meaning 1 of the signal lights and urging air cities to conform, at least one progressive step may be achieved by the engineers and others interested in the problem of traffic control.-. When

l' ltho yellow light is .introduced to give warning of a change it merely adds a confusing addition to the signal system, and makes., it th einore difficult for the stranger to determine) what it implies. For this, reason many students of the important problem of traffic control aver/that only.the red.and green lights should! be .'employed." ■",' ''■'■- .'-...■■•.;.'■. .

''■What the .cost- in. -traffic, delays in United States 'cities ainpunta 1 to in a year can. be 1;-determined bnly by guesswork, 1-but. ■'the*estimates; made by various econp- ists—incomplete as they obviously are—indicate the need of standardisation in traffic signals and simplicity in the'meaning of such signals.

: "To ilccelerate the movement of traffic it isj.of course, essential that the present parking on important thoroughfares bo eliminated. In every important city, traffic on the main business is retarded- by a double row of 'parked.-.-vehicles, either vacant or in charge of a.chauffeur. That these cars substantially- reduce the potential capacity of the thoroughfare, and thug serve to reduce the, number of people who may speedily reach the shops on that street seems not to bo fully appreciated by the' merchants. But .with standardised traffic signals must come elimination of ; parking in busy thoroughfares, or the .most elective traffic lights available will soon be of small avail, as traffic increases' and the spac{ in! which, it: may. move is further limited by .idle caTS.'r^Prpgress and;parking do not-go hatvd;in hand.*,' ■"■:'■; .