BIG TRAFFIC PROBLEM

Southland Times, Issue 20641, 13 November 1928, Page 13

BIG TRAFFIC PROBLEM

EXPEDIENTS IN AMERICA. SOME COSTLY UNDERTAKINGS. New York, September 19. Thickly-populated communities are experiencing the pains of that new 20th century disease, traffic congestion. This autointoxication has involved complete revision of ideas as to what constitutes an adequate road or street. The rural street . width of 18ft., once ample for all needs, is giving way to pavements of 30 or 40ft., and in one instance two parallel strips of concrete have been laid, each 44ft wide. This thoroughfare, between Detroit and Pontiac, is America’s first super highway. With motor vehicle registrations mount- : ing rapidly—seven miles of new cars weekly in New York City alone—it has become necessary to redesign the old streets, built for horse traffic. Many cities are widening streets, buildings pedestrian tunnels and constructing overpasses, in the hope of making movement safer for pedestrians as well as autoists. Other cities are shearing off their sidewalks, giving more street room. Pittsburgh took 20ft. off its main sidewalk and now there is room for two more lanes of moving autos. A notable new project is a super highway leading away from the Holland vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River. This 15-mile express highway will not be stopped by a single street or railway crossing. It will be double-decked through Jersey City, Newark and Elizabeth. It is expected to carry 20,000,000 automobiles a year. As the highway will traverse a new right-of-way for the most part, construction cost will be £1,000,000 a mile. This high cost will be compensated for by the avoidance of traffic jams and the directness of the route. Even more fantastic, yet highly practical, is the elevated road to be constructed in New York City. Sixty-six feet wide, at a height of 20ft., it is intended for fast traffic. The hourly capacity will be 5000 cars. Chicago, two years ago, built a doubledecked street at a cost of £4,500,000. It has increased property values by £13,000,000. St. Louis is spending £4,000,000 on a similar project, which will include a parking plaza for 6000 cars. The parking rental will pay for the structure in a few years.