EXPERT FORESEES TRAFFIC INCREASE DURING NEXT YEAR

The year 1931 will be a period of greatly increased street and highway traffic. This is the opinion of Dr. Miller McClintock, director of the Albert Russel Erskine Bureau for Street Traffic Research in Harvard, expressed in his annual review of the traffic control problem.

His conclusion is based on the fact that there has been relatively little decrease in traffic volume on key commercial routes despite the business depression, and that national mileage has actually increased, as indicated by gasoline figures. This means, he says, that the motor car is definitely out of the luxury or pleasure transportation class and is a possession, which the American public will not sacrifice even under pressure. With an upturn in business conditions the normal amount of traffic will have added to it a large number of new purchasers, who have deferred purchase during the past year.

Progressive Cities Prepared

"Without question the more progressive cities and States will be prepared for any volume of traffic which may come to them during the new year, or indeed in the years that follow," says Dr. McClintock. "It is safe to say that we are over the hump with respect to the traffic problem, and that there can no longer be any doubt of the capacity of cities and States to achieve progressive improvement in street and highway safety and congestion. It will demand constant work but the elements to assure success are available.

Control Growth Encouraging

"Most encouraging among these is the great growth in technical skill in connection with the design and traffic facilities and the control of traffic movement. This was demonstrated during the year 1930 by the organization of the Institute of Traffic Engineers, a national engineer- ing society with several score members professionally engaged by cities, States or private organizations in the relief of traffic conditions.

Specific advances in the field of traffic engineering during 1930 include the organization of the traffic engineering division of the department of public safety in Philadelphia, the organization of a traffic engineering program in the National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters and the establishment of a traffic office in Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.

"During the past year legislators have likewise been busy in traffic matters. Added hope for real national uniformity in regulations resulted from the meetings of the third national conference on street and highway safety sponsored by the United States Department of Commerce. The conference reviewed and confirmed practically all of the uniform provisions of earlier conferences. An organized drive is under way by organizations associated with conference to obtain passage of laws requiring the licensing of drivers in those States which have no such provisions.

New Speed Laws

"The national conference promulgated a new uniform speed regulation which is believed to mark a great advance in this difficult field of legislation. The new rule provided that no vehicle shall be operated so as to endanger or collide with persons or property on the high-way. Speed limits are not fixed and a speed which endangers warrants conviction even though it may be very low. On the other hand, where no danger is involved, an operator may drive at relatively high speeds without fear of arrest.

"In order that the really reckless driver may be apprehended certain indicated speeds are given for various districts. Speeds in excess of those indicated do not warrant arrest but if in so driving the operator violates any of the laws of the road, as for example crowding, or otherwise endangers or collides with any person or property, he is subject to arrest and will be much more severely punished than if the violation were at a lower speed. In other words in the new rule speed is not an offense in itself but is used as a measure of the seriousness of dangerous and prohibited practices.

"In all cities the troublesome problem of parking continues to be irritating. The past year has shown no change comparable to the prohibition of parking which took place in the Chicago loop district in the preceding year and which is still in force. There has been, however, a definite development of business facts on parking conditions and a change in attitude which will make possible more accurate restrictions and regulations in the future.

Business Areas a Problem

"In all cities the capacity of the major street to bring traffic to the business district is far greater than the capacity of the business district to provide storage space. This fact will definitely limit the capacity of central district business property to develop until it is altered. The broad policy that agencies creating parking loads should provide for them in off-street facilities, was specifically confirmed during the past year by a report of the National Capitol Parking and Planning Commission of Washington, D. C. This report recommended that the Government provide storage space for the five thousand vehicles which will be used by the 25,000 Government employees occupying the administrative group how under construction.

"The development of super-highways plans and actual construction during the past year has been notable, though all of the major projects were under way in the preceding year. Structure such as the west side highway in New York City, the outer drive in Chicago and the super-highways of Detroit indicate that the major city trunk lines of the future will be non-stop express ways probably of elevated construction. There can be little doubt that the economic savings will warrant the development. They offer the most important single step in the urban traffic horizon.