urban planning reading summary

A Major Traffic Street Plan

for Los Angeles

Prepared for the

Committee on Los Angeles Plan of Major Highways of the Traffic Commis-

sion of the City"and County of Los Angeles

·bJ FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW CHARLES HENRY CHENEY

Consulting Board

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA MAY, 1924

r

10 MAJOR TRAFFIC STREET PLAN

Causes of Street CongestionA program such as thi~ can only be acco,!,plished over a period of year~. Satisfactory progress wIll ne.ver be made if the execution of the plan IS left to the whims of changing political administrations. Some specific agency must assume the responsibility for pr<;serving the integrity of the plan. Step by step, as occasIOn l1er- mits the execution of this, that and the other project must be secured until gradually a complete and satis- factory traffic circulation scheme is evolved. Your pres-

. ent committee should be continued, enlarged if neces- sary and so constituted as to form a permanent sponsor for the development of a compr.chensive plan of major streets for the entire metropolitan district.

The prohlem of street ~c congestio~ must be pr~­ gressively solved in a groWIng metropohs. The van- ous steps that should be taken from time to time to afford the greatest freedom of traffic circulation in Los Angeles are:

1. Regulation to secure maximum capacity of existing space (including elimination of park- iug, prohibition of obstructive turns at par- ticularly busy intersectio~, ~nkinl? of ve- hicles, use of most effective slgnalhng, cur- tailment of unnecessary movements,; and so forth).

2. Separation of classes of traffic (including rerouting of transit Jines).

3. Improvement of street plan (including eJl:n- ination a f jogs and dead-end streets, creaoon of distributor and by-pass streets for busi- ness districts and improvement of radial and inter-district thoroughfares of the major street plan).

4. Exi;ension of major street plan to cover the whole metropolitan district, and completion of a Boulevard and Parkway System plan supplementing it.

5. Provision for expedited mass transportation by subways in business district and by rapid transit lines.

6. ProVision for the readjustment and extension of steam railroad lines and simplification of terminals, ,vith gradual elimination of grade crossings.

To execute such a program" involves much labor and e"peuse. A broad-visioned, unselfish and unifying agency is a prerequisite of eJ\.;:ensive accomplishment. Engineering skill, imprO\'ed legislative measures and an equitable finandal plan are necessary accompaniments. Public understanding and support must be secured.

No fixed program can be adopted and rigidly ad- hered to. Continuous study of conditions, of details, of plans, and of costs, will alone determine the rela- tive importance and order in which various measures should be undertaken. There is no simple single remedy for the comple.'!: traffic problem in a rapidiy growing metropolis.

Establisbment of a permanent Citizens' Committee on City Plan, similar to that which bas so successfully op- erated for the past four years in Pittsburgh, or to that of Chicago which for ten years has been accomplish- ing most notable results is the procedure most likely, in the Board's opinion, to do what needs very much to be done in Los Angeles. Such a committee will prob- ably need a budget of one hundred thousand dollars a year for not less than three to five years, and a lesser, but still "ery considerable, budget thereafter in order to do its work adequately and promptly.

The causes of· street congestion in Los Angeles are, except for the important one of climate, not unlike those in most other cities. They are:

1. Rapid growth of the city and of the volume of tr,1flic.

2. Climate and other conditions peculiar to Los Angeles, intensifying both elements of the first factor and raising certain special prob- leros.

3. Unscientific width and arrangement of streets.

4. Improper use of existing street space. 5. Promiscuous mixing of different types of

traffic. 6. N aturn! or artificial obstructions to circula-

tion. 7. Limiting capacity of street intersections. ' 8. Conceotration of business.

1. Rapid Growth of the City and of the Volume of Traffic:

The rapid growth of Los Angeles is without .parallel among cities. Official census records show an mcrease in popnlation from 102,479 persons in 1900, to 319,198 in 1910 and 576,673 in 1920. 'Reliable estimates based upon school increases, street car riding, telephone users and other utility company records indicate a present population (1924) of approximately l,OOO,O~O persons within the city limits, while the total population of the city and immediately contiguous cities and tnwus is ap- proximately 1,500,000."

From March I, 1923, to March I, 1924, there were 84,000 new lots created by subdividing acreage in Los Angeles county and 125,000 houses ",ected, according to figures presented to the Realty Board recently by County Assessor Ed. W. Hopkins. In the twelve months previous there were 8~,000 new lots and 102,- 000 new buildinlls. .

New subdiviSIOn maps filed of record in the city and county during 1923 were estimated to cover a total of 65,000 acres, nearly ali withdrawn from agriculture for' town lot purposes~

The 1924 assessed valuation of property in Los An- geles County aggregates $1,992,068,094, a gain of $418,- 649,927 over last year's. total. The total. assessed valuation of all property 'n the county has lOcreased approximately 1,000 per cent in the last twenty years, according to Assessor Hopkins, and this assessed valua- tion is about 50 per cent of the market value placed on property. The County tax levy for the fiscal year 1923- 1924 which is now being colletted, totals $61,281,000.

U:s Angeles County conta!ns. an area of 4,000 square miles of whicl. three-fifths .s 'n the Angeles National Fores't Reserve. A little over 400 square miles or 10% is in ·the. city limits of Los Angeles.

Great as has been the increase in population, build- ings and property values, vehicular traffic has increased even faster. Maps 6 and 7 represent the volume of

"'Compare Detroit's growth from 160,000 in 1880 to 993,- 000 in 1920 (40 years) and Cbicago's growth frnm 109,000 in 1860 to 1,099.000 in 1890 (30 years) and then to 2,701,000 (in the succeeding 30 years).

11

traffic upon the main thoroughfares of the t;ity as re- corded by counts made in 1922 and 1924 respectively. Observe the general increase throughout the whole city and particularly the proportionately greater increases east and south. '

No more graphic illustration of the remarkable traf- fic increase in Los Angeles could be had than that showing traffic year by year upon certain main thor- oughfares (Diagram 5).

The total registration of automobiles in California and particularly in Los Angeles County (Diagram 4)' further emphasizes the remarkable growth of Los An- geles traffic. Registrations in Los Angeles County in- creased from 110,000 in '1918. to 430,000 in 1923, an increase of 400 per cent in five years, and the present registration in Los Angeles County very nearly equals the total of ali other counties in the state.

Even in the downtown area, the automobile. brings in a large percentage of the daily inllu.'!: of people. The cordon count of the Parking Survey Committee showed 643,374 passengers (including driver) carried by autos iuto the downtown* district (in 11 hours in November, 1923) as against 750,000 on the street railways in the same area. For 24 hours it is estimated that automo- biles carned in and out 800,000 passengers, including drivers, and the street cars. (all Jines) 950,000 passen- gers on a typical day in the downtown* district. See Diagrams Nos. 10 and 11 for actual figures.

What the total passenger movement by automobile per day may be in Los Angeles ~ difficult to surmise. Counted in the same way as the trip fares on the street railroads, it is probably in excess of 2,000,000.

The maximum number of street eat'S in service was 750 per day during the first weelr in December,1918, and 964- during the first week in December, 1923. The ma:>cimum number operated any day in December, 1923, was 1,045 or 28.6% increase in five, years. The aver-' age daily passenger haul the first week inlDecember, 1918, was 517,580,and in the same period 011923 was 1,065,000, an increase of more than 100 per cent."* This class of traffic (street cars) represents a most important form of the use of public thoroughfares.

2. Climate and Other Conditions 'Peculiar to Los Angeles

The climate of this city has undoubtedly contribnted much to its remarkable growth. This climatic condi- tion also contributes much to the traffic problem. When it is considered that here exists the largest percentage of aut6mobile ownership in the world-one (1) auto- mobile for each two and nine-tenths (29) person,- and that a uniformly mild climate encourages constant use of cars every day of the year (as against 8 months enjnyable use at most in the eastern states), it is small wonder that a street congestion problem of great magui- tude results.

The place of the automobile in the transportation problem of Los Angeles is far more important than in the cities of the East. There is no day in the year when it is impossible or even uncomfortable to ride in an ~owndistrict taken was from Sunset to Washing- ton and from Figueroa to San Pedro Streets.

•• From paper by Geo. B. Anderson in fl~erafl for March, 1924.

12 MAJOR TRAFFIC STREET PLAN CAUSES OF STREET CONGESTION, 13

open car. The widely scattered population, and the almost universal housing in detached single family dwellings, situated on lots large enough to admit of housing automobiles, encourage their use.

Philadelphia is usually spnken of as a city with a very high proportion of single family dwellings, but there the houses are in solid rows on, lots 15 or 20 feet wide by 60 feet deep, wbile in Los Angeles the houses are of the detached bungalow type on lots sel- dom less than 40 feet and ordinarily 50 feet in front- age with generally more than'lOO feet of depth. The number of houses per acre in Philadelphia is thus four or Jive times that in Los Angeles. The spreading out of the residential area here naturally leads to greater use of the automobile.

3. Unscientific Width and Arrangement of Stree~B

Few cities possess street systems that even approach adequacy in the performance of the functions !'XPecte~ of them, or of demands made upon them. Growth has heen unexpected and unplanned for. It is not so much that cities lack sufficient area devoted to streets, or that there is lack of a snfficient number of streets, as that there has been no adequate attempt to provide an or- derly scheme of thoroughfares, differentiated as to )vidth and arr,mgement so that the growth of the city and consequent traffic movements might have more of order and less of chaos and confusion. Map 12 shows widths of all existing streets of over 65 feet cross-sec- tion, some of which are so located or on such grades as to be of no value for through traffic; the whole form- ing a discontinuous and unsystematic. arrangement that is the natural result of piecemeal, uncontrolled land sub- division. .

There are surprisingly few streets of- generous width in Los Angeles. A width of one hundred feet is quite exceptional, while greater widths are practically un- known. There are a respectable number of eighty-foot

.streets but these are noticeably discontinuous and un- related. The prevailing standard has been the sL"i:y- foot street, a width totally unsuited for a traffic street of great capacity.

Standardization in the width and arrangement of· streets has produced much of present day street con- gestion, and constant repetition of this improperly re- lated method of land subdivision iu newly developed areas has been constanUy producing still greater prob- lems for future generations to contend with. The at- tempt to cope with this evil, recenUy inaugurated by the City and the County Planning Commissions through control of platting, is of the utmost importance. But

, both these important agencies labor under severe handi- caps, because of the lack of personnel ana resources to keep the general planning sufficienUy ahead of the tide of new suhdivisions. Their offices are crowded with PtlI:ely administrative duties. Mere regulation of the laYIng out of such new streets as subdividers can be ex- pected to dedicate primarily for local benefit, will never, alolle, meet the needs of a great metropolis.

4. Improper Use of Existing Street Space

Space now avqilabte for street purposes is. most im- .proVidenUy used. This is more particularly true in the business districts than upon approach thoroughfares. It was not to be expected that the 'Vast increase in street traffic could be quicldy adjusted to prese,nt street space: Graduallv throue:h more and more striue:ent traffic ree:u-

lations more efficient use of e.~sting street space will be secured.

The percentage of area devoted to street space in the business district of Los Angeles is surprisingly small as compare(l with that of other cities.

Table r..,-Proportionate Area of Downtown Business Districts Devoted to Roadways*

PerCent Washington, D. c.. .._# San Diego, Cal.._._ _. .__. 41 Oeveland .... __.. ._39.5 Seattle .... . .._.__..._37.5 St. Louis. _...__ 37 San Fraocisco_._._._ __._._ _._34.5 Pittsburgh __ __.....__.._ _.._ .._ ..34 Portiand ...__ __._..._ __.__...34.5 Minneapolis _ .._ _._._ _ ..._ .._._..30.5 Detroit _ __.__ _._.__ _.29.5 Chicago __ ._.. .....29 Denver ........_ ..__.__..__ _.....27.5 Salt Lake Citj·. ..._ _ .......25.5 Toledo __..__ __.._ _._.._ ....24 Los Angeles ~ _ __ __..2J.5

Because of this restriction of street and roadway area in Los Angeles, improvident use of street space must be avoided. If the economic losses due to retarded or prohibited traffic movements are to be reduced to a minimum the fullest possible use must be made of roadways for accommodation of the greatest number of persons and commodities. Tlus applies especially to reduction of space devoted to automobile parking.

A further handicap in the husiness' district of Los Angeles is the lack of alleys ill' most blocks. This .neces- sitates loading and unloading of velucles upon the pub- lic streets, causing interference with pedestrian move- ment upon the sidewalks and with vehicle movement in roadways. Alleys should he extended to serve all busi- ness blocks. Opened only one story high, and bridged over above, as has been done by Bullock's Department Store, very valuable space on.upper fioors can be com- mer,clally utilized without impeding alley service in the least.

The present restriction which prohibits parking from 4:00 to 6 :15 P. j\{. has helped conditions markedly during the evening rush hour and gradually this type of restriction must be extended for longer periods ahd pre- sumabl)' throughout the day on the most heavily nsed streets. In the narrow streets of the Boston business district all loading and unloading of goods, as well as all storage of passenger automobiles, has long been pro- hibited during da)'light hours. Where tljese streets lack alle)'s, guods are shipped and received only at,night.

5. Promiscuous Mixing of Different Types of Traffic

Experience with antomobile traffic congestion prob- lems is of SUcil comparatively short duration U,at man)' opportunities for improving freedom of circulation are yet to be taken ad''antage,of. ,

Traffic is of three distinct types: (1) street cars, (2) ,automobile trucks, and (3) passenger automobiles.

*From article uTraffic Relief in Los Angeles," in Electric Raihva}~ Journal, March B, 1924, by George Baker Anderson Manager of Transportation, Los Angeles Railways (yeUo~ car. surface Jines). .

.. LOS ANGI;.U;'S

MI;.TQOPOLlTAN AI2I;.A INCIl~AS~ IN POPULATION

nv£ YEARS 1018 TO Ige~

£ACH OaT •.:UloWS 1000 Kl" IHltAtllTAnT.:J COHIlIU:O fROM DAllY ATT£KOAKC'

'UOt1;NTAUY SCHOOU Of CITY AKD COunTY

elf' SC"otAQ lQUAt$ T'U IUUAIHTAfIT.:l

Diag,.a-m NO.3-Location of Increase in Population, 19r8~I92.~. Compared 7.uith Diagram No.2. the increases on the ~ast and south sides of lite city aro quite marked.

14 . MAJOR TRAFHC STREET PLAN CAUSES OF STREET CONGESTION 15

Table 2-Total Traffic Entering the Business District

flc entering the business district (Sunset to 'Washing- ton and Figueroa to San Pedrn) from the four com- pass directions as compiled from the 1924 traffic censns (11 hnurs) taken by the Parking Survey Board.

These figures in part ""Plain the south and westward e>.-pansion and drift of the business district so notice- ably in evideuce the past few years.

In general there are few other serious topographic barriers to growth and free traffic circulation in Los Angeles, although poor land subdivision has made dif- flcn1t good street access in certain areas. The Bald- win Hills district and the passes of the Santa Monica Mountains to the e.."treme northwest are e.umples of . topographic impediments. The large hill in the nnrth- west corner of the business district (Bunker Hill) bonnded by Sunset Bonlevard, Hill Street, Fifth Street and Figoerna Street is a decided handicap to the busi- ness district. Construction of the Second and Third Street tnnnels, the Broadway tunnel, the Hill Street tnnnel and the openIng of Fifth Street, nnw nnder con- struction, have in part ohviated the difficnlties of ap- proach. A still further reduction of the serions grades in this area is desirable and shonld tak-e place as eco- nomic conditions justify.

The Los Angeles River and the several railroad yards and terminals have long offered a combined natural and artificial harrier to growth and free traffic circn1ation eastward. Fortunately, few streets have been vacated and several ,~adncts and bridges have al- ready been cOllstructed, while quite recently the city, county and railroad authorities have agreed upon ;l pro- gram of six new viaducts and bridges (First, Fourth, Seventb, Ninth, IliaC)' and Aliso Streets) that will elim- inate several grade crossings and improve access be- tween opposite sides of the river. Excellent foresight has been shown in providing sb<: line (56 ft. roadway) capacity for each of these ,~aducts, for which bonds have been voted, and construction will soon start.

A comprehensive plan of grade-crossing elimination should be worked out as soon as possible for the whnle metropolitan area. For lack of proper grade separa- tions, much delay occurs that is expensive and no longer warrauted, to say noUung of the traffic accidents and dangers to life and property involved. Other stateS have long ago started on definite programs of elimina- tion of all grade crossings ani! Los Angeles, with the greatest anto traffic in the country, cannot afford tn neglect this matter.

Closely allied is the problem of unification of rail lines and terminals for which the joint stndy of the city and State Railroad Commission is an admirable be-

*Traffic actually entering tile central district on its North, South, East and West sidl!s respectively. On ac~ count of the IUbottle-neck" much traffic from outlying por- tions of the north sector reaches the central district through its east and west sides.

The street cars are the mast economical carriers of people and since the street is the nnlyavai1able present right of way for most of this class of traffic its freedom of movement shonld and mnst be provided for. Heavy trucks, whether horse drawn or motor driven} as yet constitnte a small prnportinn of total traffic. IIiotor truck traffic is beginning to increase rapidly, however, and will continue to increase in even greater proportion than in the past.

These three types of traffic are more or less incom- patible, particularly npon streets of limited width. Pas- senger automobiles obstruct street ,car movements, es- pecially in congested centers. Street cars obstruct the freedom of automobile movements on radial highways of less than eight line (74 ft.) roadway capacities be- tween curbs. Auto trucks are more or less obstructive to street car and passenger automobile traffic, depending somewhat upon the width of roadway. It is desirable to the utmost practicable e:ctent to provide opportunities for segreg;>tion of these three classes of street traffic, thereby facilitating the operation of each and im- measurably adding to the total volume and speed of traffic. The present arrangement of street car tracks and routing in the business. district of Los Angeles and in approach streets is not such as to facilitate the best movement of either street cars or automobiles, for there are few thoroughfares that are not occupied. at least in part by street cars, and in many cases the lines jog un- necessarily from one street to another.

6. Natural or Artificial Obstrtlctions to CircnlatIon

The topography of the distriet"in and about the city of Los Angeles is roughly shown by Map 2. The city occupies a valley of Iarge dimensions, enclosed on the north by mountains and on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. There is room for much growth to the west and south, and for unlimited growth eastward. To the north there is less opportunity for growth, but even here the splendid Sau Fernando Valley can eventnally accommodate a population estimated by the Regional Planning Commission at approximately 400,000 per- sons. Topographic barriers have not been a serious handicap to the growth of the city, bnt have caused some serious obstructions to traffic circulation. The most notable case of this ·is the pass in the Santa Monica Mountains immediately north of the present business district through which the Los Angeles River flows. This pass was the natnral site of the early city. The more favorable natnre of the terrain to the south and west caused new growth in those directions, for the path of least resistance is the natnral direction of city growth.

The ·narrowness of tlus pass early reSulted in the absorption by the railroads of mnch of the level area not occupied by the river and left a limited street space. Much additional space for street purposes is now difficult, if not impossible, of acquisition. "The Bottle-Neck" is the term now appropriately applied to this pass. The traffic flow diagram (Map 7) indicates the ..,-tent of the congestion at this throat. Relief in the form of increased capacity here or new routes else- where must be provided.

The limitations of convenient and level building areas contiguons to the business district on the north, plus the handicap of "the bottle-neck" accounts for the pre- ponderance of contiguons growth west, sonth and east. Tts reflection is most evident in the total vnlume of traI-

In *North ....__. 21,554 *South .__.__.._. 41,153 *East ... . 61,558 *West .. 76.094

TotaL_. 200,589

Out

17,498 39,093 57,085 52,524

175,301

ginning. This shonld be continued to include the har- bor and whole metropolitan area.*

7. Limiting C.apacity of Street Intersections The limiting capacit}T of street intersections is one

of the most prolific causes of street congestion. Two roadways of equal width, intersecting at grade and fully nsed, each have their capacity reduce.d more than 50 per cent because of. the· alternate stoppmg of traffic movement. (Theoretically, the capacity of eac]l street wonld be reduced 50 per cent, bnt actnally it is rednced far below this figure because of the necessity for slow- ing down, stopping and starting on each street, and waiting for left hand tnrns.) How important are the factors of speed and of interval between vehicles is iIlnstrated by Diagrams 17 and 18.

While traffic capacity might be increased ·by enlarge- ment of roadways at street intersections, this is more or leSs impracticable of accomplishment, except in new areas. Such a meUlOd cannot be used in areas already built np and where traffic congestion is now greatest.

What might seem to he a more logical methOd of avoiding the congestion cau~ed by intersections of streetS at grade, wonld be to provide for separation of grades fnr stricU)' antomobile streets. This method, however, has distinct and positive limitations. Dia- gram. 19 and 20 iIlnstrate two methods of street grade separations where level ground exists and where two great thoroughfares intersect, as for instance, in some ouU,~ng district such as Wilslure and Santa Monica Bonievards.. The plans show opportunity for intercom- munication as well as for uninterntpted through move~ ment of four lines of traffic on each street.

The limitations of this sort of plan are the .."pense of property, 120 feet of street width being required (a condition seldom possible), U,e cost of construction ($125,216 for viadnct construction and $269,300 for subway, per intersection), the extr.eme length of ap- proaches and the possibility of damage claims by abut- ting property owners. The cost estimates above are based upon Los Angeles unit prices as of April 1, 1924. Unnsually difficult soil conditions might increase the above costs. Occasional favorable grades, such as at Sunset and Glendale Boulevards, where grades have already been separated, or at Vermont and Wilshire, might rednce the above estimates of cost, though at Sunset and Glendale no satisfactnry pro,oision for in- tercommunication has yet been made, the cost for which . wnnld be considerable.

An estimate has been made of -the cost of building an elevated. street of fonr-Iine capacity, being virtnally a continuous viaduct similar to the construction shown by Diagriun 21. This wonld cost $929,808 per mile, exclusive of proper!:}' damage, unusual soil conditions, or ramps for intercommunication with cross streets (allow $55,000 each).'

The difficulties and expense of single street grade separations make this device stiII less practicable as a means of relief of street traffic congestion for general application: Occasional opportunities at the intersec-

---;;;S;-"Unification of Rail Lines and Terminals." by Otas. H. 01eney and Committee in Proceedings of National Con- ference on City Planning at Cincinnati, 1920.

tion a f two main thoroughfares may be fonnd. The ex- cessive cost for this type of construction (or for a modi- fied or mnre intricate type of construction throughont business districts) is prohibitive becanse of property damage and the limited ability of the city or abnttlng frontage to defray the expense. Even if the cost might be met no permanent solution of the street traffic con- gestion prohlem would have been found, for the new thoroughfares thus created wonld soon be crowded tn capacity. A stiII more intricate system might then be evolved, providing multi-story streets, to visualize which is to appreciate that no solution can be found in this direction. For more detailed discussion, see Appendix A.

Attention has previously been called to the limited area in the business district now devoted to street and roadway space (Table 1 on page 12). This is indeed a prolific 'canse of street congestion. Add tn this fact that the long blocks, 560 feet, are laid ant north and south, with the narrower streets at greatest intervals in the direction of heaviest traffic movement (Table 2 on page 14), and it becomes .evident that much of the present street congestion is due to an unusual amount of tnrnIng of coroers and to ob~trncted flow. While new easl and west streets might be introduced into the business district, their cost must in each case be J1:tsti- fied. It is clear, however, that anything which can he done to facilitate direct and continuous movement on these streets and to eliminate left-hand tnrns at the narrow coroers, by getting vehicles. on to the street on which their destinations lie before they enter the con- gested zone, wonld be nf great value.

8. Concentration of Business

The next great canse of street traffic congestion is the concentration of bnsiness within small areas. High buildings are the greatest producers of congestioo, and Los Angeles is to be commended for its courage and foresight in adopting and maintaining a building height limit of 150 feet in the central business district. From a traffic standpoint, this height is too great, but other considerations wiU probably canSe the limit to remain as at present. Building height limits in oulYfing dis- tricts and on .certain main thoroughfares, pal'ticularly Wilshiie Boulevard, are now too great and sbould be reduced.

It is important in this connection to note that except in a limited number of special cases, including the case of a brief flpeak load" of pleasure travel on certain routes on Sundays and holidays, tJ1e majority of the vehicles causing traffic congestion are not those en- gsged in long distance movements hut those circulating or standing within the limits of a locallzed area of con- centrated activity. This fact is ",,-pressed in the local "bnlges" in the volnme of traffic alnng many thorough- fares, as at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street (Diagram No.7). These "bulges" show the "et in- creases in the long traffic stream due to local movements, bnt if a complete analyais of the traffic were available it would prnbably sbow that a very large part of the apparently continuous flow is made up of relatively short over-lapping movements.

Solution of the Problem of Street Congestion

Diagram Na. 4-Antamobile Registration in Califoruia a-nd in Los AJlgeles ConJllj', I9I3-I923.

17

1.100.000

1,000,000

000,000

coo.ooo

TOO,OOO

tlOa,ODO

500.000

"'00.000

300,000

200.01;10

100,Otlo

0 UilU, 19t3

which figures are available, there were registered in Los Angeles County:

391.947 Automobiles 36.124 Pneumatic tired commercial vehicles

(last year these were included under ti,e heading of automobiles)

13.247 Solid tired trucks

441.318 Total automobiles (io L. A. County. April 1. 1924)

The passenger automobile traffic is b)' far the largest in volunie. How much of this latter type is of a dis- tinct commercial character, that is to say, is di~ectly

.concerned with the proper activities of the central business district, it is impossible to determine. Some of it, and perhaps a large percentage, contributes yery little to the proper acti\~ties of the business district. and, when remedial measures have reached their limit in the avoidance of tl"affic congestion, this portion ought, as far as possible. to be e.-...:cluded, or at least induced to use thoroughfares on which it will not interfere with other more important forms of traffic movement.

It is practically impossible by r~lations to discrimi- nate between 'the more necessary and the less necessary passenger automobiles, but those who have least to gain by using automobiles in a congeste9- area. are apt to be

1915 1914 IOI~ UlI& nllT IGU!. 1919 102.0

SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF CONGESTION

In California

Table 3--Autos Registered January 31. 1924

In Los Angeles Count)'

410.517 15.065 2,151 4,753

I I I I ICALIFORNIA AUTOMOCJILE. AND -TRUe,,- /RE.GISTRATION

TRAFFIC COMMISSION or THE CIiY AND COUNTY Of" /LOS ANGELES: 215 wmGlfT &v\UEHOER

CALlFOflHIA --- 1/1.0", ANaIiLtl..3 c;.OUHT'Y ------ALL OT","fl eOUNTI':l ___ ~~ /

/ >---

/

/ ~/ ---

./' / ,

V --,.",' --- V V- -

V --",.'" --- ---- - -----V-- .0-:-- .--- ---- ..----' Tltue..~ 0"1.'"

VOl < laoa IgOg 11110

Autos Registered April 1, 1924

From February I, .1924. the beginning of the present registration year, to April 1. 1924. ilie latest date for

Automobiles _.__1.056,756 Trucks .. . ~__ 43.527 Trailers _~_. ._._.._. 5.808 Motorcycles __.._ ...__ 14.694

The percentage of traffic that is exclusively of the motor truck variety differs considerably in various cities. In Los Angeles this class of traffic comprises about 11% (1924 census) of the total vehicular traffic and (from ligures compiled by the L. A. Railway) oc- cupied 16% of the total occupied roadway space on streets measured. The growing importance of this ch~ acter of traffic is recognized and must be provided f'5F. The heaviest traveled trucking street today was found to be Santa Fe Avenue, at one crossing of which 25'10 of all vehicles were in this cla~s. (Boy Scout count.) The following table shows l1ie various types of cars in use:

1 1·

<1, I

j

! i

J .I I

i )

.j

I I

*Figures compiled by the L. A. Railway from counts of Public Utilities Board. Compare counts in November, 1923. given in Chapter II. on Diagt'a!tls 10 and 11.

3. Restrict U nneceBsary. Traffic Movements Once the several openings and widenings suggested

in this report have been e.~eeuted in whole or in part and traffic regolation has reached its limit. ther~ is but one alteroative thereafter should congestion still con- tinue-a distinction will have to be drawn between necessary and unneceSsary, or between less necessary and more necessary traffic movements wherever con- gestion prevails. Even today it is evident that there is a wide difference in the necessity for traffic move- ments that take place in the most congested centers.

Traffic censuses in other cities indicate that the street cars are the most important users 0.£ the street area downtown. carrying on the average 85% to 95% of the passenger traffic entering and leaving the business district. In Los Angeles, however, as shown in Chapte.r II. ti,e street cars (yellow cars of L. A. Ry. plus local line red cars of P. E. Ry.) carry only a few more passengers than carried by automobiles.

The stopping and loadiug of street cars greatly slows up automobiles on carline stteets, cutting down the volume of flow probahly as much as 50 per cent. Hence the segregation of streets, some primarily for carlines and some primarily for automobiles and free from car- lines, is very important, so far as tills is possible with~ out limiting the carrying capacity of the street car sys- tem to less than limit fixed by other factors.

But the street car, owing to its economy of space and low cost of operation per passenger, must take pre- cedence over other forms of vehicles in the congested area whenever the traffic capacity of the arteries ap- proaches its limit., and prior to reduction in use of sur- face street cars by the still more intensive mass trans- portation offered by subways or elevated lines.

A traffic count of what is called the "congested dis- trict'· of the downtown business district (from 1st to 9th Streets and from Figoeroa to Los Angeles Streets) covering approximately ninety blocks, showing the movement therein of all classes of vehicles from 6 A. M. to 6 P. ],<1. on December 17, 1923. shows. 263,110 auto- mobiles. 48.556 trucks---a total of 311,666 autmnobiles of all classes-and 12.025 street cars. During the rush hour from 5 P. M. to 6 P. lVI.. there was a total of 34-.449 automobiles and trucks, and 1.436 street cars used. The average car load for this period was 77.7 passengers. and the average automohile load was 1.67 passengers., including drivers.*

derly and well-balanced' system of thoroughfares throughout the city, i.e.• a. scheme of thoroughfares of such width and arrangement as will facilitate direct and uninterrupted movement from center to center and in- cidentally facilitate distribution within centers. This is the purpose of the present study. Several projects of the character here described and of much l)1erit are now being .carried out and have~ of course, been incorpo- rated in the plan later described-Tenth Street widen- ing. Fifth Street ""-"teosion. Broadway. Olive and Flower Street extensions, etc.

16

There are three factors involved in any solution of the problem of street congestion. namely: (1) ti,e width. (2) arrangement. and (3) use of streets.

The best solution involves. in any city. direct and un- interrupted movement between centers. and good distri- bution at these centers. A given city mayor may not be able to solve its problem of street congestion. depend- ing upon the nature of its e..xisting street plan, its finan- cial ability to improve that plan. the extent of owner- ship and use of motor vehicles; the intensity of develop- ment permitted in business areas, and the degree of reg- ulation of use of streets.

Measured by present standards. a certain degre~ of growth is desirable in cities. Bot the greater the size of a city and the more rapid its growth usually the more acute will be its street traffic congestion problems.

Los Angeles is unique in the importaoce of its auto- mobile traffic, in relation to its general transportation problem. The checks taken for purposes of study show that almost as many people daily enter the congested area of the city by automobile as enter it by all other means of transportation.

Considering the several factors above mentioned, it is evident that traffic congestion is a progressive prob- lem and requires a progressive solution. The measures to be taken and their approximate order is as follows:

1. Secure maximum use of existing street space by traffic regulations that speed up move- ment." .

2. vVideo and open streets in accordance with some well defined plan of circulation.

3. Restrict unnecessary traffic movements.

1. Secure Maximum Use of Existing Street Space Los Angeles has done much toward accomplishing the

first of these steps, i.e., to secure maximum use of ex- isting street space. An extensive code of traffic regula- tion- has heen adopted. applicable chielly to the central business district. Parking is limited to 45 minutes from 7 A. M. to 4 P. M. and prohibited eotirely on certain streets comprising most of the husiness district from 4 P. 1\£. to 6 :15 P. lVI. Left hand turns have been eliminated at many corners and aU turns at some. An automatic synchronized traffic system has been installed. which provides intervals of 55% of the time for north and south movement at all intersections. and 37% of the time for east and west movement. with 8% of the time in the two pauses between sigoals (4% in each). Murh relief can still be accomplished by further regula- tion, including complete prohibition ~~~ parking ~m cer- tain thoroughfares and the confinement of dllIerent types of traffic to separate streets.

Los Angeles has a capable and progressive police traffic squad, but unless public opinion and the courts are in sympathy with the regulatinns it endeavors to enforce. the effectiveness of the police department in .handling traffic matters will-he greatly diminished.

2. Widen and Open Streets in Accordance With a Definite Plan

Los Angeles' greatest immediate need in solving its street congestion problem is the development of an or-

MAJOR TRAFFIC STREET PLAN

::::~--~ ~-- -- .- --- ---

a - ---- --- --- --- --- W~ I"' I~ ~I' ~ ~~ ~u ~ta ~u

w.1.1.I,'l' &QUL;V"IlD

it'I

lilT I¥lll 1911J !SIta 191.1 HAIUltlR. llDUL1iYAD.D

-..; ..

capaciti"" at least remotely comparable \vith 20th cen- tury facts and tendenci"" in a large metropolis; not for such as were in fact dictated by 19th century condi- tions, even in the small pro\':inclal town that Los An- gel"" then was.

~ '.aa' I---t:----t-+--:;-t::::t='-;;:..ji";::'"-+-+--I

~_._-"

/../

safety, because no one is allowed to turn in from a side street without first coming to a dead stop. This is calIed tbe "boulevard stop" plan. One of the great""t , cau.t;es of street accidents has been· found to be from cars dashing out of minor streets across main arteries.

Los Angel"" will have to consider very 5000 the adop- tion of an ordinance ""tablishing definitely the maj or traffic streets, which all vehicl"", particularly hauling vehid"", must use for travel until the near""t point of their destination has been reached. Only thus can the cit)' furnish enough wide, heavy, through traffic pave- ments and pay the bills for their maintenance.

Safety Requires Desiguation of Definite Streets for Through Traffic .

'Wear and tear is so great, the danger to ehildren and pedestrians so serious, and the cost of permanent wide tr,,:ffic pavements and tbeir upkeep so large, that most citt"" can afford to have only about every sixth or eighth .street ""tablished and paved as a traffic street in outly- ing sections. This is becoming particularly true of Los Angel"".

TRAffiC' COMMISSION or TIlE DiY AIIO CClUlrTY Dr'

\.05 "HalLa 2UWlUQrrAAll C\LLElIllltn BUII:L

--- ---

TIIUC1t.::Ii .. _ 110":110·' _

t.EGIWO 'TOTAL Il"H'le.~D,.Vllllc.1.U __ P,U:'1iUQlillC"tlili

____0_- .. _~=-- III." 1.15 IIlla "IT IDle .1I111 11'1.0 tllll

\'",NO &&ACII llCUl.ltVAtltl

l~ooO

eOHPIt.lUI BIOH rU;C()tlDS l.o.:s ANGeLl" COUIln' COHHI""lO/t

ff .",ooa /---j'--t--/--+-t--!--t--j--/'i-j

.II

TIl.A~~IC INCIl.&AS&

1914 TO 19~3

LOS ANG&L~ S COUNTY

iff '~aaa /--r-r-r-r-r-+-/-r-+lif-l

i

But the trend of things is so manif""t as to make at least this mild statement perfectly safe:

When choice is open, and 'wilen in doubts it is tlls part of 'wisdom and of conscruatiS1u to aim for greater thoronghfare capadl)' ral"ar t"a" for less. And for

ESTABLISHING A BALANCED PLAN

. Diagram No. 5-b",rease of Traffic on LOllg BaaeT, Boulevard, Valley Boulevard and Harbor Balliavard.

Establishing a Well Balanced Street Plan SOME PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE DESIGN OF A MAJOR TRAFFIC

STREET SYSTEM Distinction Between Major and Mino:Streets

An hnportant point On wbich to have a clear under- standing is the sharp distinctiou that must 'be made be- tween major thoroughfar"" (which form the subject of this report) and minor or local streets. ~e most of the streets of any city are primarily

r""ldential, and local streets are also needed in indus- trial districts ood in busin""s districts opening off major thoroughfares, the reasons for this basic distinction can be brought out most clearly in r""idential areas.

The main reasons are economy and safety. With the re~nt rapid increase in vehicles, particu-

larly of fast moving vehicles, citi"" are being driven tu con~entrate through travel on a limited number of con- vement and adequate major thoroughfares, where ordi- nary drivers can know they are reasonably safe, ood the recldess ones can be more easily and economically regulated.

Chicago, Los Angel"" and a nnmber of other citi"" have alread)' desiguated certain traffic ways for through travel, on which higher speed can be lIlaintained with

r

of traffic wiII be limited b)' the width or capacity of the streets, and by that ouly. If that capacity is doubled, the limit will be raised, but when it is again reached, the final degree of coog""tion \vill be just as bad as with a smalIer limit capacity.

When the limit of increasing vehicular travel is fixed by the physical capacity of a street ood not by other factors, congestion will reach a.point approximating the intolerable whether the street is wide or narrow. That means a degree of cong""tion such that if it gqt any

.worse fewer people would be willing to endure it and the numbers using it would falI off.

In busin""s districts at least, it is hnprobable that ooy limitations on the size of buildings and hence on the concentration of business, or any limitations on the ability of people to pay for automobiles in which to go to busin""s, will keep the amount of traffic cong""tion much below the limits determined by the width or capacity of the streets, no matter how much the latter may be increased.

If, then, no matter what we do about increasing street capacity, we must approach the same degree of almost but not quite intolerable cong""tion, why not be fatalistic and do nothing?

There are, among others, two very sound reasons: 1. If the street system.is ill-balanced, so that cooges-

tion at some plac"" caus"" many other plac"" in the sys- tem to be used far below their capacity and caus"" abut- ting property to be used below its convenient and satis factory capacity, there ~s an enormous waste i to avoid which would justify large expenditur"" for in- creasing the capacity of the undersized parts. Tbat is a matter of relatlvo capacity as between different parts of a street system.

2. A!J a matter of absolnte capacity, if any city with the mechanisms for transportation now available to us, including the street car and the automobile, were to struggle along with streets as narrow and crooked as prevailed in citi"" in the da)'S of pack-animals and. humoo porterage streets, the waste of opportunity would be absurd; and the economic gain of increasing the avorago scale of the street system as a whole would justify almost any amount of reconstruction by slash, ing through a major -street system on a Itmodern" scale of street width and of directness. That is the sort of reconstruction Paris did in the 18th ood 19th centuries. Tokio and Canton are doing it now.

Mechanical transportation has caused a revolution in the volume of street traffic, and in the space re- quired for getting the legitimate benefit obtainable from this new agency; it is precisely comparable with the revolution wrought by the general introduction and multiplication of horse-drawn wheeled vehicl"" in the cities of Europe between the 14th and the 19th cen- turies.

Los Angeles, like practical1y every other large Amer- ican city, has a street system laid out on the scale of a 19th century, horse-and-buggy town.

Vie do not yet know enough about the ultimate eco- nomics of motor troosportation to feel justified in mak- ing the huge sacrifice of fi:"'ed capital neC""saty for in- crea,"" in the scale of capacity of our 19th century street systems at all comparable with the increase in scale. which the 19th century showed over the 14th. Ir is well to be fairly conservative in ~uch matters, even though America's industrial progr""s has been due largely to courage in putting old machinery on the scrap heap when better was to be had.

squeezed out first by increasing pr""sure. And when the pressure is heavy enough, passenger automobiles in general must yield in proportion to· more intensive in- crease of transport. Automobil"" used exclusively for passenger trausport occupy 14.3 times as ·much road- way space per person carried (according to L. A. Rail- way figur",,) as do street cars in the Los Angel"" busi- ness district The flexibility of automobile transport effects to some extent its higher unit cost, but mass transportation in whatever fOrID, motor bus, trolley bus, street car, or rapid transit, is necessary and desir- able to meet present and future needs in cong""ted centers. .

The problems of street cong""tion are as yet of such comparatively recent origin that we have few prec- edents by which to judge measur"" proposed for relief. The concentration of busin""s, as previously indicated, is responsible for much present congestion. Concentra.- tion of business is more or less necessary and desirable, however, and to what lengths citi"" may go in r""tric- tion of concentration is a matter for much further study, certainly beyond the limits of this inv""tigation. Zoning ordinanc"", by fixing height limits and ·the area of the lot which may be covered, and by differentiating between tJ'pes of residential, commercial and industrial districts, form a foundation upon which the nltimate so- lution of traffic congestion \vill in part depend. While the pr""enl zoning (which applies to use of buildings only) is helpful, it should be extended as soon as pos- sible to provide height and area limits to cong""tion, as weli.

Decentralization is a tenn now much in the minds of those concerned with problems of city growth. Persons interested in business property, at least· in large com- mercial centers, are not over-enthusiastic about proc- ""s"" of decentralization. And yet a very natural ten- dency of this character that might perhaps better be de- scribed as specialization of centers, is already taking place in no uncertain way in Los Angel"". The new Hollywood busin""s district and even more recently the Vermont Avenue and Western Avenue districts, are evidenc"" of an inevitable tendency. Th""e two districts are but examples of numerous local retail centers that will develop at intervals throughout the whole Los An- gel"" district as the city continn"" to grow. They are neighborhood centers for local shopping that the cen- tral business district cannot and should not continue to draw to itself at the cost of interfering with lclnds of business which have a better right to a centra1location.

At the very time th""e centers develop, the central business district continues to grow and expand. Here is specialization-the central busin""s district for such offic"", theatr"", hotels, department star"" and specialty shops, etc., as must have a central location if they are to do busin""s at alI-the local neighborhood centers for all business which can be efficiently and profitabl)' conducted there. Thereby much of the traffic concen- tration is broken up, graduall), r""ulting in mass trans- portation for the main center and more of the retail shopping and delivery traffic distributed throughout the neighborhood centers. Both will grow; and probabl)' grow faster than provision for traffic accommodation can be made, at least as long as the city continu"" to increase in population.

The Lhnitll of Traffic Congestion Increasing traffic congestion is ultimately self-limited.

If not previously limited by other factors, the amount

18

20 MAJOR 1;RAFFIC STREE',l' PLAN ESTABLISIDNG· A BALANCED PLAN 21

Another type 01 regulation which hecomes logically possible with the desiguatiqn 01 an adequate system 01 properly selected main thoroughlares, is the exclusion of commercial vehicles, especially hea"}' trucks, Irom local residential streets, except for access to property abutting on those streets. By thus concentrating the heaviest and most destructive wear to streets properly adapted for it, it .is possible to provide, where most needed, pavements heavy enough to stand up under this traffic and wide enough to carry it, and at the same' time to use narrower and lighter surfacing material an the local street.'1 and so maintain all the streets in far better condition at a lower total cost than is possible without such differentiation. The burden 01 mll,king any and all streets fit to stand up under heavy trucking would be too great; and the indiscriminate use 01 heavily loaded vehicles on streets not fit for them is extravagantly de- structive. .

But it is not merely an 'economic problem. Safety lor children and pedestrians demands that local resi- dential streets should in general be free from high- speed through travel and Irom trucking-a condition which can be maintained only if there are well-recog- nized tboroughlares desiguated as such, properly paved and 01 adequate width and directness.

Street Accidents a Most Serious Problem With. street accidents in Los Angeles reaching such

alarming proportions both in death and injury to per- sons, and in property damage, a safer and more care- lully balanced s)'stem 01 streets lor handling traffic, is essential. The lollowing table shows the situation:

Table +-Street Accidents in Los Angeles" Fatal Injuries

1918. . ._.__._114 3597 1919 . ..._. . ... 84- 3302 ,1920 .. ._._. ..128 4249 1921- .._.._.._ _.. .._172 5027 1922_ :.._ __ _ _~..__277 5908 1923-. _ __ _ .322 6719

Streets Must Be Arranged to Suit Their Use To meet these problems it has become necessary) for

economy. safety and convenience) to divide all streets into three general classes, according to use) width, and plan of improvement, with regulation of traffic varying to meet the specific needs 01 each. These three classes

. as now generall,}' accepted are: 1. Major Traffic Thoroughlares. 2. Parkwavs or Boulevards for Passenger Ve-

hicles onlv. 3. Minor streets, mainly residential but includ-

ing also special local streets lor pther pur- poses as in industrial districts and' in some local retail business districts opening off main thorough lares.

.Adoption of a well-defined poliC)' of differentiation in ·width of street, of roadway.and character of paving will soon produce results more satisfactory than have been achieved heretolore. On the radial thorougblares and cross-town stree,ts the first essential is ample width.

Economy and Safety 01 Tbis Distinction During the. past twenty years) there h~ been a revo-

lution in all former ideas in ~erica as to streets and

*Fu~nished by the Traffic Bureau of the Police Department.

their use, how they should be laid out, paved) parked or improved. The coming of the fast motor vehicle and . 01 trucks and trailers with very heavy loads-amount- ing sometimes to as much as 10 and 12 tons on two wheels-has made necessary more permanent, wider, heavier and far more costly hard surface pavements on streets subjected to this traffic. Nothing less will stand up under the punishment. There is no economy in the makeshift of ina4equate pavements constantly break- ing down and continually in need of repair and renewal.

But the city cannot stand the economic bur~en of . pro\"'iding such pavements on all streets or on nearly all streets. And lor the local purposes 01 the abutters on most of the streets 01 a city, especially on the minor residential streets (which enormously outnumber in mileage all the others put together) there is no need for wide or costly pavements. Indeed, the more completely such streets can be kept free Irom the kind 01 traffic which alone justifies heavy) costly pavements, the better they are lor local purposes.

Ovenvide and unnecessary pavements on minor streets involve an "extravagant waste which sometimes reaches enormous figures. Adoption 01 a Major Traffic Street Plan should lorestall waste 01 this kind. .

The lollowing table covers some general indication 01 the financial magnitude 01 the paving problem in Los Angeles: Table 5-Street Work Done in Los Angeles, 1913-

1924" (From the records 01 the City Engineer's Office.)

Miles of Miles of Estimated Asphalt, Con- Graded and Total Cost of

Year crete, or Hard Oiled, or aU Kinds (in- Surface Macadam eluding Curbs

Ol.l1dGutters) 1913-14 48+ 20+ 1914-15 59+ 20+ 1915-16 56+ 14+

. 1916-17 36+ . 20+ 1917-18 14+ 6+ 1918-19 12+ 8+ 1919-20 5+ 3+ $ 455,124 1920-2.1 25+ 9+ 2,386,374 1921-22 26+ 18+ 2,139,263 1922-2J 35+ 19+ 3,608,752 1923-24** 60+ 17+ 5,000,000

During the next five )'ears, it is estimated that $25,- 000,000 to $100,000,000 01 street work will be done by the city, in the natura[ course of events. Hence the importance 01 a Major Traffic Street Plan to work to.

As soon as a hard surface pavement is now laid on a street ,01 any length, it immediately attracts all the travel from the surrounding neighborhood) becomes

$' more dangerous lor children, dusty, dirty and noisy lor the houses fronting on it, and· therefore less desirable in many ways for residences, except for the larger type 01 dwelling which can afford to set well back from the street. And unless it is a very hea,'Y and costly pave- ment the diversion to it 01 trucking traffic is liable very promptly to break it down. The abutters are assessed

• 10 addition to the above wor~ the City Engineer's office has·about two years of petitions for street work, held up until a larger engineering force can be secured, amounting to an estimated total cost of $10,000,000.00, and up to $40,000,000.00 of other engineering. work. It is understood that the Qty Council will make a special appropriation, so that plans may be gotten out immediately for this work.

"-Estimated.

for something that they want, that would serve their ueeds and that tlley can afford'to pay, for; and then their improvement is promptly worn out by others. If not soon abandoned to them. their street is at best made dangerous and noisy.

Minor Streets Should Be Narrower and Indirect Where. city engineers used to think that every street

should be laid out a through street, it is now seen to he economical to provide wider and heavier pavements on a limited number 01 selected Major Traffic Streets and to keep through traffic off the rest 01 the streets

. as far as possible. On minor residential streets width and directness are

no longer considered essential. In fact, on these minor residential streets a roadway width sufficient only for the purely local traffic, when combined ,vith more or less irregularity in alignment, discourages the use of the ~treet for traffic purposes) gives more room for plant- mg and adds great;ly, to the desirability 01 the street for residential purposes. Families with children seek- ing either to rent or buy a horne~ .give prefere~ce in nearly every case to a quiet) out-of-the-way"street) free from the speeder and through traffic.

As a matter 01 city planning, the chiel, il not the only objections to making all local residential streets so interrupted and indirect as to exclude C!-utomatically all through traffic are, first, that direct major streets are often not provided 01 adequate capacity lor carry- ing the through traffic 01 the present and the immediate future; and, second, that Goqditions are Hable to change so as to demand the conversion of intermediate streets originally intended and used as local residence streets into additional major traffic streets, sometimes devoted to business, as has been recently happening with the north and south streets between Figueroa and lvrain Street, south 01 the central business district.

It may be a very wise 'precaution in citY planning to la)' out some 01 the originally local streets intermediate between the original main thoroughf;!res on such line~ and with such building line setbacks that they can, if necessary) be converted at some future time) without extravagant cost, into supplementary intermediate major thoroughfares i but this does not alter the sound- ness of the polic)' 01 deliberately selecting a 'series 01 major streets adequate lor the through traffic needs

. which call be clearly forecast, 01 concentrating the wide and heavy pavements on those streets, and 01 seeking economy and safety and quietude on all the minor residential· streets that intervene between them.

Minor Industrial Streets May Be Closed • It is to be noted also that heavy industries need

large~ areas uninterrupted bjt streets than the ordinary residence blocks offer. If Major Traffic Streets are properly provided for through hauling, minor streets in industrial areas can be closed) wherever desired for !,usines~ reasons.. The Major Street Plan should help mdustnes b)' settling the question a I what streets are needed for through traffic so that the others ma)' be closed without question) if proper easements for .sewers) drainage) utilities, etc., are retained.

. ~1any American municipalities have begun to recog- mze the necessity for thus settling definitely which are to be the Major Traffic Streets 01 the city, and a fairly complete Major Traffic Street Plan bas been worked out and adopted in St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Memphis Cleveland, Portland (are.), and in a number olathe;

cities. The Major Traffic Street Plan of Los Angeles is along similar lines.

Parkways and Boulevards

A parkway or boulevard) in the sense usea in this report (regardless 01 the occasional misapplication 01 these terms to the most ordinary l-inds of local streets) is a route limited to passenger vehicles (excluding all com~ercial vehicles and truck-hauling) and made ex- ceptionally agreeable as a route 01 pleasure travel by every possible means, but especially by the feeling 0 I openness that comes anI}' with plenty 01 width and by an ample enframement of trees, shrubs, and other plan,tations in the parallel wide sidewalk areas. •

There is' justification 'Ior pro,-lding such a parkwa)' or boulevard as one of the main thoroughfares 6£ a city· wherever conditions are such that commercial traffic can be taken care of in other or De?Iby routes, and that the amount and kind 01 passenger traffic over the pro- posed route would make the extra public enjoyment afforded by the parkway or boulevard worth its cost.

A parkway or boulevard -may be used mainly hy peo- . pIe guing to and from business and yet .give them a great deal 01 incidental recreation· and pleasure; but ordinarily the justification lor such treatment is great- est on routes used also.largely by people who' are travel- ing solely for pleasure-as to and Irom the beaches, the mountains) etc.

Such parkway thoroughfares, as far as possible, should lead past the principal fine buildings and parks and scenic '-lews 01 the city showing it to ·the best ad- vantage to Yis.itors, while at the same time contributing mnch to the enjoyment 01 local people. Los Angeles, with its ever-increasing number of visitors) has more tl,an usnal justification lor esf;1blishing this kind. 01 thoroughfare.

It is important to note the distinction between the class 01 parkways and boulevards here discussed as forming part of the thoroughfares system of the city and those which are not intended for direct communi- cation between points, but which are simply elongated parks in which people circulate for the pleasure they find in them. The latter may be valuable purely as parts 01 a park system, but are not parts aI, a thoroughlare s}'stem.

Width in boulevards and parkways is necessary to secure ample permanent spaces lor planting. Such parking 'and planting are what make a boulevard desir- able, refreshing and useful as distinct from ordinary traffic streets. ' .

A street 100 feet wide would be a street or avenue '01 handsome 'vidtll, but a mean boulevard. Residence

. streets commonly have two rows of sidewalk trees. A boulevard sbould have something more. II it depends for its distinction on its rows of trees, four rows (two on each side) are little enough, and three 'rows on each side are not uncommon. A 'vidth of 150 leet would generall)' bc a minimum, but more is usually desirable. . In the case 01 all'boulevards and parkways, houses should be set back 25 feet or more from the sidewalk, and suitable legal methods for securing this sbould always be adopted at the· time allaying out a boulevard or parkway.

Widths of Major Thoroughfares W'idths 01 majo, thoroughlares should be determined.

primaril)' by the lIt1mber of lilies of traffic to be carried.

17

VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FLOW

1922 12 HOURS .JAN.I

TOTAL VEHiCLES PASSING

_~_~=,-.L-",,-....J--r.-+,--....J,,.....,.,.---\;-EACH :I~l;~ ~~0l.~:E BY

Diagram No. 7-VahiCIIlor Traffic Fl01u ill 1924. (Dra1uII to.sama scola as that for 1922 all praviolls page.) Nota the marked incrcases all strcets to south alld south'lClcStJ also Figueroa and ~VBStcrn.

,..,.,.me CI:l"'-'"l'lI.IOPf crn<tOIYM:lcD1:><TTe-o-

,,,--~....

TO#JXCHI'4tn' IlI"CIlT cr ,accVUQC 1..0... oL"':'TU, ......U"l'Ia.o.QTIICl.O.. C1O t;1U-=tU H.t:HV1-l:"t

.caUIlTIIVIlO1'"~T'

• CQUKT ~ p,o.rn:l~lJ :'UllVI!"t eoA1I1I

VEHICULAR TRAFfiC FLOW

1924 7 AM. TO 6:30 P.M. FEB.14 TOTAL vt.H1CLC P,i,5ING EACH POIHT 3HOWN BY

WIDTH OF" LINt

corresponding addition to the space between buildiugs becomes important. The sina qua nOll is to keep the central 40 foot width constantly clear for moving velncles. Eight-Line Streets

For routes likely to carry a heavier traffic, it is im- portant to provide for three lines of fast moving velri- cles in each direction, which with parallel parking next the curb requires for speed and safety a nriuimum of 74- feet between curbs. Figueroa Street, for most of its length, bas a width of almost 69 feet between curbs

i. I

) .......

./

~"'~---+---+""'=F.

half. Inter-district thoroughfares of any consi~erable importance for ,'ehicular movement which include or are likely to include car tracks (in order to give reason- ably weU distributed street car service), unless closely paralleled by thoroughfares free from tracks, ought therefore in general to be eight-line streets.

And whenever a six-line street is to be developed, as to the use of the abutting property, in a manner requir- ing more than the usual amount of sidewalk space or space for parking of velricles (as by diagonal parking or backing up to the curb for loading and unloading) a

"

I if·

f'RQK lUPOllT TO PlRfTNATIOHlU.lIAf1It

lfYQU,JlLUILClitlltT

number of such streets in Los Angeles, but this involves sidewalk widths of ouly 12 or 13 feet. Where a street is residential in character, such a sidewalk width is cramped for tree planting, and where it develops as a business street, as is very apt to be the case sooner or later on major traffic streets, it is cramped for shoppers. An over all width of about 90 feet is therefore distinctly preferable to 80 feet for a six-line thoroughfare.

A sL'"\:.-line street which carries street car traffic has a mucl, reduced capacity for velnenlar movement. Even if parking is prolnbited opposite the loading places of the cars, and one free gangway is thus kept open on each side even when street cars are stopping, the" peak vehicular capaci!)· of the street is reduced almost 'by

(Compare with 1Jcxf page for -increase ';11 Z 'j'cars.)Diagram iVO. 6-Vchicular Traffic Flo'w -in I922.

Six-Line Streets Th~ minimum capacity for a major thoroughfare

should be two lines of rapidly moving vehicles in each direction, completely free from obstructi9n by vehicles stopping or parked at the curb. Under modern con- ditions as to width of vehicles, speed, and necessity for clearance, this reqnires approximately 40 feet. Reduc- tion of this allowance means reduced speed and greater dauger. Parallel parking at the curb requires a mini- mum of 7 feet more on each side. Helice a normal uniform width of 54- feet is necessary between cnrbs, and 56 feet is preferable. This is called a six-line road- way. It can be provided on a street 80 feet wide be- tween property lines, and has been so provided on a

, t.

MAJOR TRAFFIC STREET PLAN

Legal and Administrative Methods 24

and just fails to carry three lines of moving vehicles abreast, except occasionally when the flow is che:ked at crossings. It is b}r no means true, as sometimes stated, that a roadway 60 or 65 or 69 feet wide has no greater capacity than one 56 feet wide. The extra width has some ,'alue iu permitting higher speeds with a given degree of safety (or vice versa) j -but there is a marked increase of peak load capacity when the full eight-line dimension is reached, provided th: traffic is well regulated. A 74-foot roadway can be mstaJled

. on a street 100 feet between property lines, but again this allows only 13 foot sidewalks, which for practical reasons, are very narrow for a main thoroughfare, and alongside of a 74-foot roadway look extremely cramped.

An over all width of 110 or 120 feet for an eight-line thoroughfare is very much to be preferred.

A street for which a width of 100 feet between prop- erty lines can be secured, and 110 feet is not obtainable at a cost within reason, may be regarded as a potential eight..1ine thoroughfare, but the actUal widening of the roadway to fuJI eight-line width should not be under- taken without the most careful consideration.*

*For further discussion see "Rem~dies for Street Conges~ tico/' by Harland Batholomew. paper before American Elec- tric Railway Association, :Marcb 4, 1924, published in Aera for· March. 1924, and in Engineering News Record for April. 1924.

The present procedure of legal and administrative methods in opening, widening and improving streets, is fraught with delay-rnany projects have required from five tn ten years hetween the preparation of the ordi- nance and the actnal completion of the improvement. Legislation should be enacted pennitting the city to ex- pedite work in various ways, inclnding early acqnisition of title to property in order to insnre early completion of work, leaving the litigation tn be settled as time will permit. This is the reverse of present procedure under which litigation usually precedes and greatly delays the execution of work. The recommendation aJiove offered wonld tend to decrease litigation.. A detailed legal dis- cussion of procednre now followed and pnssible reme- dies is given in Appendb<:' B. Permanent Assessment Board

The city shonld be prepared to prosecute condemna- tion work rapidly. It would seem to be wise, if the city is to enter upon a considerable co~demnation program, to enlarge the legal departrnellt and to provide for a permanent board for apportiomoent of damages and assessment of benefits. In other words, there shonld be a well-functioning mechanism established for expe- diting this character of work, which tuday we under- stand is more or less confused with numerous other ac- tivities in certain departments of the city gOvernment.

The provision in existing state law whereby 51 % nf property owners in any given improvement district may, by protest) cause abandonment of any proceeding is not to be fonnd in other states. Abutters have a right to every proper safeguard against unjust or e",.-travagant assessments, but this is a very clumsy device for that purpose, and pennits a local gronp to block an improve-· ment needed by the city at large even when the local assessments might be very small and eminently just. City Should Take lmmediate Possession

One of the greatest difficnlties to be met in street openings and widenings in Los Angeles is the increase in cost that has been and may be brought abont by land speculation within the thirty day notice required under . present state law for public hearing previous to enact- ment of ordinance and in the often much longer period before the date as of which values are determined. There is precedent in this county and in municipal practice elsewhere for procedure which will meet these conditions. Some means must apparently be found whereby possession may be secured without long public notice of intent.

Taking the large view of the local situation it is evi- dent that the connty should pOssess powers similar to those now e-"cisting or here recommended for the citv in \~rtually all city planning 'acti\~ties including the crea- tion of park districts, zoning and ~treet openings. One of the worst drawbacks in accomplishment of impor- tant metropolitan projects is the inability of either the city or the county to bring about the opening of streets

. reqnired for the whole metropolis through small in- corporated fnunicipalities which by their very nature are unwilling and usually incapable of viewing public improvements in any way except in a local manner.

There should be state legislation, if fonnd tn be neces- sary, permitting the county as well as the city of Los Angeles tu establish building lines upon streets by the condemnation of an easement for a limited period of

25

years, which legislation might also provide the manner . in which the cost of such easement might be deftayed.

Constitutional Amendment Advisable There is no rule of tllumb that can universally be ap-

plied in distributiug the cost nf street opening. Assum- ing that the city of Los Angeles is to enter upon an exteosive program of street opening and widening it is belie"ed that the city should possess all powers com- monly possessed or nsed by other cities undertaking this character of work. With the exception of the power of excess condemnation, Los Angeles appears now to pos- sess adequate legislative authority for undertaking a' comprehensive prngram of street npening and widening. It is recommended that a legislative provision for a con- stitutional amendment on excess condemnation be pre- pared.

This power is most important, .because when new streets are cut through, there are remnants of lots and uneVen parcels not properly usable for building sites left by the present law, which only allows the actual width of street needed for street purposes to be taken. The damage is often so much to these parcels that the city practically pays for the whole parcel, and cannot take the remnant, and must make bad building sites fronting the new improvement.

Many states have by constitotionaJ amendment authorized their cities to take at least enough land in addition to the street width to form well-shaped lots squarely fronting on the new improvement. These in- clnde Massachusetts (1911), Ohio (1912), Wisconsin (1912), New York (1913), Rhode Island (1916), and New Jersey (by statute 1870). The simplest of these constitutional provisions is 'that of New York, which reads as follows:

":Art. I, Sec. 7. The legislatnre may anthorize cities to take more land and property than is needed fat actual construction in the laying out) widening) ex- tending, or re-Iocating parks, public places, highways or streets; provided, however, that the additional land and property so authorized to be taken shall be no mnre than ~ufficient tu fonn suitable building sites abutting on such park, public place, highway or street. After so much of the land and property has been appropriated for such park, public place, highway or street as is needed therefor, the remainder may be sold or leased.u * Revolving Fund Should be Established

Once a complete and comprehensi"e street plan has been finished, a general program of procedure and nr- derly financing might be adopted. It sbould make orderly prO\~sion for the raising of the city's share of such costs as may be levied against it. It is here as- smoed that, generally spealring, costs for street open- inl:'! will be distrihuted. in part agai~st the city, in part agamst propert)· abutting on openmgs and widenings and in part against benefited districts varying in extent according to the character arid location of each indi- vidual project. The value of a permanent assessment board becomes increasingly evident in this connection in avoiding overlapping and excessive assessments for benefits. .

~urther facts on excess condemnation see Williams- "The Law of City Planning and Zoning." Chap. In. page 128; also Chapter in Lewis-"Planning the Modern City."