CITY'S TRAFFIC

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 110, 12 May 1939, Page 11

CITY'S TRAFFIC

NEW METHODS.

CONTROL SCHEME.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALS.

INSTALLATION ADVOCATED.

COUNCIL, RECOMMENDATIONS. fn the li'.'ht of investigations made liy them rpepntly in Australia, the superintendent of traffic, Mr. Cecil Bland, and the rhuirrrmn of tlie public safety committee, Mr. W. R. Fee, made several rfronimciirl.il inn* to Ihr Auckland City Council List c\ ruing for the improvement nf liallic control in Auckland. The i-r-,., .it». w limli were deferred for inoiiliM-Ht inn "t tin , iieNt. nifptin™ if (lie council, in, .(!■_- oilier thi.i'js ..,;; jj»»ted tlie installation of vehicleiirtiuited I ruffle m;'iu|« „t certain city jlltrr!«i'ct joiw, the si li'-niug of the uliiir of I lie tiatlle d< paitinciit, am! methods whereby pedestrians and I lie |mrking of ear* might lie more nffivti\i'ly coiil r>. Med. In ii compivlicu*ivo report Mr. llland riTii in mended th.iL t lie council should (iriHceil v* if Ii tin- proposal to install vi'hiele iipeinleil traffic wirr.inls at the ililcmcct inn of (Juet'ii and Victoria SI reel 1. (,)ncen mid Sliortliind Slrccts, iill'l <■)> ii Mild Ou.-iy Strectrt. tion* for (ho til-it two had already been received, he mi id. but in view of the cost iif signal installation* in Sydney, tlie price* quoted niiyht well be reviewed. Ife als,, Miggested that linn me should tin niadu available to permit a total of 10 uci* of signal equipment being installed within the next two years, and that the staff should Ih> brought up to full strength. The hint four vacancies had not yet lieen lilted. Mr. Wand also rncom mended that two eadetn be appointed to obviate the necessity of using uniformed men for olllce work. Pedestrian Crossings. A further proposal wiia that the existing form of authoi-wcd pedestrian cruseing used in Ojieen Street, between Ciwtnnis Street and Welle-dey Street, tdiould be. discontinued and replneed by firde*trinn crossing* dell tied by two white lines and placed lit intersection* or junction*, so that control of both pedestrian mid vehiculur traffic could be olitiiined pit her by truflic officers or automatic fiiiinils. Mr. Ulaiul also proposed that .mmrdraile ehoilUl lie erected along the edire of the footpath on each Hide of Queen Mtreet between Kort Street and ( ii-tottid Street to rentmiii pedestrians from walking on the carriage way. Slid\i:jt or toleneoplc rail* could be tittod at 1 venlent point* to facilitate the loadi'i'_r or unloading of commercial vehicles, he «i!d. I Ii" amendment of ny-law No. 18, relating to parking, by deleting the clit lino permitting vehicle* to atop- for live minute* in prohibited perking areai whs advocated by Mr. Bland, who suggested that provision ahould he made restricting tlie stopping of vehicle* on inn in t nitric arteries during |mak hour* frnm 8 a.m. to l> a.m. und 4.30 p.m. to "-.I", p.m., Monday to Friday, and 8 ».m. to 9 n.in. and 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Sii'tiirdiiy. so that the inward and futwnrd How of peak tin Hie might move more freely. other proposal* were that further eon"iilcintioii should be given to the installiition of parkin? meter*, and that nrrtnlhii<i *crvice« in Queen Street on Friday evening should be discontinued. "If o Chtap Solution." Mr. Bland Raid there wm no cheap and eiißy solution to Auckland'* problem*, nor was there, any one method in use in Australia which if adopted in Auckland would the difficulties. However, the installation of modern traffic aijnials In Auckland wan long overdue. It was not it question of displacing men by machines, but of relieving officers for more important ami unefiil work. There were neveral intempetion* in the city now uncontrolled which ehould be dealt with, including the junction of Qua v Street and Britomart I'laco, PoiiHonby "'"! Uroat North Road*. Queen and V'ietnrla Streets, and the <ir«-at South and Roiuls junction, nonie of which i'<'i]uired control throughout the day and "them at peak, hour , * only. There was «Uo the. iri'tei'wie.tlon of * Queen Street mid fJreyX Avenue, and Rutland and Wukefleld Street*, which It had not been pn««lb!e to man for several month* pust nwHnji to ithortnjre of staff. Furthermore, when Jean Batten Place was opened there would be a need for either pnlntHmen or lunula to control triiffiu "n the new route where it rroMod Fort Street nnd Shortland Street.

Mr, Fpo mild the secret of traffic control in Sydney wa* th« provision of an adequate number of well-trained trnUic clTUwiw. Pnrhape the inont intermttinji «f his Investigations related to control liy automatic eijjna.lt*, ami he hud no hesitation in recommending that an p»rly start be rimde in Auckland r»n tho installation of sijfnak. Observations In Sydney did not lend any eupport to the positions of Auckland's pedestrian crossings or of the method of control.