LONDON'S GROWING PROBLEM.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14916, 14 March 1914, Page 12

LONDON'S GROWING PROBLEM.

TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS.

HEAVY TOLL OF LIVES

(FROH OCR OWN COREESrONDEXT.) LONDON. February 4. In tho last nine years accidents in the London streets havo doubled, and it is now a dangerous proceeding to cross tho road. Statistics illustrative of the growth and complexity of London's traffic problem show that P largely owing to tho development of motor vehicles, tho road-borne traffic has increased enormously, yet practically nothing has been done tj provide new highways or to increase the capacity of thoso available. During tlio last ten years the number «J ot passenger journeys mado by road % withm the .Metropolis has alaiost * doubled, and tho increase of population and tho growth of trade have •* I brought about a corresponding increase in the use of the streets. I In spito of all this additional traffic 'i tho road system of to-day, with the ' exception of local conditions and improvements, is practically identic*! I with that of a century ago, more es- I pecially as regards the'important main F roads radiatiug out of London,- and it is chiefly due to the introduction of tho more rapid mechanically-propelled vehicles that it has been possible for a'l this increased traffic to pass through tho streets in their present condition. But traffic can no longer pass unhindered, and tho delay encountered is on tho increase, as is also tlie monetary loss to the commercial world, and the number of fiecideuts to persons in the streets. From the census of traffic taken annually it has been found that at many points whero congestion - occurs thero is a tendency for it to become rather more accentuated in each succeeding year, more especially outset* tho central area, and this disturbing situation must be faced and a remedy decided on and applied, if road traffic is to continue to hold the posij tion it holds to-day. Tho following figures show how travelling is growing in volume. . In IM)3 tho loral railways carried 290,722,680.per50n5, whilo in 1912 this tctal had increased to 433.492 528 The tramway totals for these two year*" are respectively 394,35b\C00 * and 797.487,000. Omnibuses 387,336 000 against 551,622,000. Journeys'per Lead 144.9, against 243.9. It b further assumed that approiri_mate.lv 250,000,000 journeys were made in the year on the trunk railways within tho Metropolis. INCREASE OF ACCIDENTS. Since 1904 tho total number of street accidents has practically doubled, while the increase of population has not amounted to quite one-tenth, and this yearly rate of increase, which is out of ai l proportion to that of the population, is highly disturbing. On the basis of either area or population, 1/ondon compares unfavourably in this respect with other English cities despite the fact that the police control of its traffic is admittedly, the best in the world. It is suggested by the London Traffio Branch of tho Board of Trade that in order that the matter may he moro carefully watched it is extremely advisable that there' should be compulsory' powers whereby all street accidents resulting in injury should be reported to one authority. In 1904, there wero killed and- injured respectively iri tho Metropolitan Polico area 100 and 10,334 perrons, ,\ compared with 537 and 20,166 in 1912. £, In the City of London the figures for «|! 1004 are six killed and 1422 injured; * and for 1912, 24 killed and 1534 in- ■• jured. The total, therefore, of 11,j)3r? ■ " accidents in 1904 had increased by 1912 to 22,261. .

SUGGESTED EEMEDIES/ ' "In tho last throe years," the report states, "the motor bus, on tha whole, has been responsible tor mote -. -. deaths than"any other class of vehicle, and the number of both deaths and injuries has increased each year. * That the': increase has been less in proportion both to the number of omnibuses put on the streets, and to the yearly route and car mileage is satisfactory in a way. But even so, the death-rate ... is still deplorably high. No satisfactory life-guard to compare with thatfitted oil the tram lines has yet been ' _ obtained, though the companies. ore" •.'. still experimenting. The cycle causes • per year than any other typo of vehicle ' but the fatalities in- . volved are under i per cent of the total. Next comes the fast-moving horse-drawn vehicle, the injuries - caused yearly by which remain fairly stationary. Then 'the light motor-... car, which, n common wth the mator . bus and 'heavy motor-coir, shows a _ steadily rising total of accidents." Various suggestions are put forward for- "relieving congestion. Insufficient width of streets is described as the root of the trouble, a*u it is ur«d that no time should be lost in widening thoroughfares and, making bow ones in the outskirts, whilo it is still possible to carry out improvements at moderate cost. _ - ; Centre standards are condemned,,B* obstructive, and as to the breaking np - -. of streets, it is recommended thai the ." Commissioner of Police should be'een- . suited, and that any necessary -work . should be carried ont with tlie least possible delay. Other proposals are that standing vehicles and the and unloading of .vans, etc,. should . not be permitted in busy thoroughfares; that tramway and omnibus-stop- . ping-places and street markets ««onld « be the subject of regulations, and that slow' traffic should "be compelled to > keen to the kerb.

Finally, it is urged that powers should do given to some authority to regulate the volume of traffic in busy streets: in other words, that there/, should be power to prescribe routes for certain classes of traffic. "The run* "'. ning of motor-omnibuses along- any route mijzht be forbidden until such route has been approved by the prcper authority. and it is worth consideration whether heavy and slow-moving vehicles should not be restricted from using certain streets save when o!_ nccessitv calling therein. 'One way 'traffic in parallel streets, especially narrow ones, might bo tried."