Show Compounding Confusion The helter pedestrian crossing system in vogue in downtown Denver has been receiving considerable national attention Partly perhaps because the pictures of people scurrying in all directions directions direr direr- across a busy intersection are so novel Partly also because the fruit- fruit turn over system seems to work at least in Denver Henry Barnes Denver traffic engineer engineer engineer engi engi- neer who installed it says it is designed to speed up the flow of vehicular traffic by preventing the blocking of right-hand right turns by pedestrians The system permits permits per per- mits traffic only to proceed on a green light first in one direction and then in another Following this movement of vehicles a walk signal goes on all traffic comes to a stop and pedestrians a move in any direction across the intersection intersection intersection inter inter- section even diagonally It certainly sounds confusing but we doubt it is any more confusing than our j own oven Walk Valk and Dont Valk Walk pedestrian pedestrian trian signals at downtown intersections Theoretically these are supposed to keep pedestrians from making last minute I crossings which interfere with the flow now of traffic But actually so many pedestrians pedestrians pedestrians pay no attention to the Dont Walk signs that there is scant advantage over the old system The problem em of downtown traffic control is one that plagues every city of any size size- Denver may have solved its problem with its helter system although obviously it wouldn't work with our wide streets That would merely compound the confusion |