Beginning Feb. 16, Fifth Avenue, between Fifty-seventh and Thirty-fourth Streets, from 10 A. M. to 5 P. M., will be a “one-way street” for southbound vehicular traffic, while Park Avenue between these cross-streets will be reserved exclusively for northbound travel during the same hours. The new regulations, which were explained by John A. Harriss, Special Deputy Police Commissioner in charge of traffic problems, to members of the Uptown Club at noon yesterday, create a “belt line” of one-way traffic on Fifth and Park Avenues. Outside of the restricted hours traffic will move, as heretofore, in both directions.
Signal towers, twelve feet above the pavement, to be erected on the avenue and Fifty-seventh, Fiftieth, Forty-second, Thirty-eighth and Thirty-fourth Streets, each equipped with telephones and push-button signals and flashlights, will direct traffic. In place of the familiar red and green “stop” and “go” semaphore signals, drivers must accustom themselves to red, yellow and green traffic tower signals. The regulations will be in force for thirty days as an experiment, after which, if they prove satisfactory, similar towers will be erected on Park Avenue and the system extended to other congested sections in New York. Commissioner Harriss promised that if the scheme interfered with business adjacent to Fifth Avenue traffic officials would act promptly on complaints.
The following announcement containing the new traffic regulations was made public by the Police Department:
“Beginning Monday, Feb. 16, the Police Department will introduce an innovation in the regulation of street traffic on Fifth and Park Avenues, between Thirty-fourth and Fifty-seventh Streets, which, it is confidently expected by Special Deputy Police Commissioner John A. Harriss, in charge of traffic, and by the Traffic Committee, by the uniformed officers, by the Fifth Avenue Association, the Fifth Avenue Coach Company and a representative committee of business men, will serve to greatly relieve existing congestion.
“The plan is undoubtedly the first of its kind to be put into effect on such an important thoroughfare, being the introduction there of one-way traffic, which heretofore has been confined to narrow streets of much less travel.
“Beginning at 10 A. M. and continuing until 5 P. M., and between the cross-streets mentioned, traffic will move south only on Fifth Avenue and north only, on Park Avenue, thus forming what might be termed a ‘belt line’ of ‘rotary traffic,’ which, although the area mentioned forms a square, means one-way traffic in a circle.
“Traffic on Madison Avenue, which bisects the belt-line area and on Sixth Avenue will be maintained as two-way traffic.
“Vehicles going north or south on Madison or Sixth Avenues may turn at any available block (according to one-way traffic regulations in force on the cross streets) to reach Fifth or Park Avenues, and the same may be done on leaving either Fifth or Park Avenues, east or west, to reach any point desired.
“Police signal towers are to be erected at Fifty-seventh Street. Fiftieth Street, Forty-second Street, Thirty-eighth Street and Thirty-fourth Street, similar to signal towers on the railroads, from which the movement of traffic on Fifth Avenue and cross streets will be controlled by flash lights, telephone and push button signals, operating between the towers and to be observed by the traffic officers, also, at the intersection semaphores.
“The floor of the towers will be twelve feet above the roadway to afford a clear view for their occupants, and the towers will be so provided at tie base as to sheer off passing vehicles, thus becoming, in addition to their specific purpose, ‘isles of safety’ for pedestrians crossing the avenue at those points.
“The signals to be flashed from the towers up and down the avenue, day and night, will be as follows:
“Red Signal: Traffic shall move on Fifth Avenue and all cross traffic from the side streets shall stop behind the building lines, or white limit lines when marked on the roadway.
“Yellow Signal: All traffic on Fifth Avenue as well as side streets shall stop behind the building lines, or limit lines when marked on the roadway, so as to give clear intersections.
“Green Signal: Traffic from the side streets shall proceed.
“These signals, which will be in operation from 9 A. M. until 12 midnight, will regulate not only the movement of vehicular traffic, but also apply to all pedestrians in crossing the roadways, which they must do at the crossing.
“Upon the approach of fire apparatus the traffic officer in the towers will flash the yellow signal, to stop all traffic and give the apparatus right of way throughout the avenue or the side streets, wherever it may be going. It is hoped that eventually the towers will be to connected with the fire stations as to be warned ahead to clear the way instead of waiting until the apparatus approaches.
“Before 10 A. M. and after 5 P. M. traffic on Fifth and Park Avenues will be both ways, but on Fifth Avenue under control of the men in the towers and at the other street intersections where the semaphores will be maintained. The same signals (red, yellow, and green) will be alternately flashed, or as required by any emergency, always having the same signification as stated.
“Although an experiment to be tried at least thirty days, it is confidently believed that the new regulations will be demonstrated as of such practical advantage as to be regularly adopted and probably extended to other congested sections of Greater New York.
“As may be inferred, this scheme was not undertaken until given prolonged and deep study, with special reference to the congested conditions on Fifth Avenue, which have become so intense as to make anything like a fluent and expeditious movement of traffic quite impossible. Something very radical had to be done.
“By actual test it was found to have taken as long as 40 minutes for a vehicle to go on Fifth Avenue from 57th to 34th Streets, or the reverse way, at certain times of the day.
“By the new regulation it is estimated that this meet annoying and costly delay will be reduced by more than 60 per cent., or to less than 10 minutes between the points mentioned.
“This great reduction in time, as well as saving of wear and tear upon vehicles and inconvenience to individuals, will be accomplished by the continuous movement of traffic between the towers for periods of one minute and a half succeeded in turn by periods of one minute for the procedure of cross traffic.
“In other words, traffic on Fifth Avenue will be practically continuous in movement except during the stated intervals when it is interrupted for one minute at a time to permit traffic to cross from the side streets. By conservative estimates, allowing one minute and a half between towers and intervals of one minute for cross traffic, a vehicle may start from Fifty-seventh street and reach Thirty-fourth Street (unless some unusual circumstance prevents) in from seven and a half to ten minutes.
“The tower at Thirty-eighth Street will not be used as a stopping point but Is necessary owing to the elevation of the ground at that place, as a means of carrying through the signals flashed between the towers at Forty-second and Thirty-fourth Streets. Towers will not be erected on Park Avenue for the present.
“All vehicles may stop at the curb on either side of the roadway on both Fifth and Park Avenues, between Fifty-seventh and Thirty-fourth Streets, headed south, of course, on Fifth Avenue, and between Thirty-fourth and Fifty-seventh Streets, headed north on Park Avenue.
“As Park Avenue is divided longitudinally by a parkway it will be a natural and obviously advantageous practice for drivers who intend turning off to the east to keep to the east side of the parkway and for those Intending to turn off to the west to keep to the west side of the parkway.
“At the Grand Central Station, one of the most serious danger spots will be eliminated by using the ramp on Forty-second Street.
“Greater safety, convenience and comfort to drivers of vehicles, as well as to pedestrians and shoppers on Fifth Avenue, it is firmly believed, will be brought about by these regulations.
“Officers of the Fifth Avenue Association and leading business men, individually, have been consulted as to the experiment and their hearty approval and co-operation has been most gratefully appreciated by Commissioner Harriss and the officers and men of the force.
“After the installation of the new plan, which will cost the city nothing, the expense having been met by the Special Deputy Commissioner in charge of traffic, nothing remains for success but the kindly co-operation of the general public.
“Drivers, who are expert and familiar with the general traffic regulations will soon become acquainted with the special regulations to be introduced and pedestrians will be guided and safeguarded as much as possible, by policemen stationed at the crossings.”
According to Police Department charts, Park Avenue traffic north-bound will go around Grand Central Terminal by the west ramp parallel to Vanderbilt Avenue. Forty-fifth Street between Madison and Park Avenues will be a one-way street for eastbound vehicles, while Forty-sixth Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues will exclude all but westbound traffic, a measure which is expected to relieve congestion on Thirty-fourth Street.