THE WIDTH OF ROADS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 148, 23 June 1923, Page 13

THE WIDTH OF ROADS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —With reference to the query at the end ot your leader in Wednesday's "Star," the monotony and waste involved in the standard sixty-six feet road certainly can be avoided without injury to the occupier or the general public. The New South Wales Local Government Act, 1910, stipulates a standard width of 6ixty-six feet for a residential road, but section 229, cub-section 2, provides that:—"ln the case of a new residential road the Council may, on euch terms as it seems proper, permit the opening of a residential road less than the standard width: Provided that any such residential road ehall not have less space than three feet for a footway on each side, and fourteen feet between the footways for a carriage way, tree planting, or the like, together with such turning and passing places of additional width for vehicles as the Council may require." The best Australian Town Planning authority suggests that where a residential road is not likely to carry through traffic, a width of 40 feet would suffice for a length not exceeding half a mile and dwellings not exceeding 40 in number,' and a width of 20 feet Tor a length not exceeding a quarter of a mile and 20 dwellings. ■ Collateral building regulations should accompany the adoption of these widths to provide for a "building line" set sufficiently far back from the road frontage to ensure that in both the roads mentioned the space between building 3on opposite sides of the road shall not be less than 80 feet for the sake of light and air, and to permit of the roads being widened to 60 feet should it be found necessary at any time to make them thoroughfares. With ndv-ntage to all concerned many residential ids could terminate with i squares < res, with footway access to the neare rough road. Recesses of greater wi th along the narrow roads to provide for passing or standing vehicles . would enable a layout to be made that would be at once pleasing and economical. By these means the high cost of roading properties for subdivision, and the subsequent maintenance charges would be considerably reduced. Judging from results the principle of "expanding roade" has not met with the interest and support it deserves. Early in a town's development the location of radial and circumferential roads can be, and should be, determined, and these should be made of sufficient width to carry the ultimate estimated traffic, but the burden of maintaining widths in excess of present requirements should be avoided by constructing the central portion of such roads of widths to suit requirements and permitting owners abutting on the road to use the additional width for gardens and lawns until it is needed for road widening. The cost of constructing a road for dedication to the city adds more than £1 a foot to the selling price of the sections on each side of the road. It is, therefore, logical to assume that property owners must continue to load sub-divisions with roading charges, at the rate of approximately £150 a chain, until relief is afforded. —I am, etc., I S. TREVOR DIBBLE, Licensed Surveyor. 1