Highways In Cities Roads Board Queries Value Of Overseas Consultants

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31195, 20 October 1966, Page 3

Highways In Cities Roads Board Queries Value Of Overseas Consultants

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 19. News that the Timaru transportation survey had been completed and presented to the Timaru City Council provoked a discussion by the National Roads Board today on the value of such surveys, and, specifically, on whether it was better to have them carried out by New Zealand firms.

“This is something we have to face,” said the chairman, the Minister of Works (Mr Allen). “We must decide, in this and other cases, whether the main road should go through the city, with all its expensive displacement problems, or around it.” Mr J. S. R. Thorn, who has just returned from attending the world roading conference in England, said the conference had discussed the tendency of smaller communities to seek overseas consultants, who might not know the local conditions.

It was mentioned that the Timaru consultants were Rankin and Hill, a Sydney-based firm, which, however, had had an office in New Zealand for some years.

“We have been aware of this habit of consulting overseas experts ever since we received the De Leeuw Gather report on Auckland,” said Mr Allen. “Our own engineers should be able to carry out at least some of the survey. I know that the Institution of Engineers is working on the problem. Before long, New Zealand firms, given the computer service, will be able to perforin this service.” The secretary (Mr C. N. Johnson) then read a letter to the board by the Commissioner of Works (Mr P. L. Laing), who said that it was known by many people that he was “less convinced than most engineers” about the justification for so-called transportation surveys in all cases of urban-highway planning. Difficult Routes “I have learnt that this opinion of mine is being used in one instance —Napier—to oppose the board’s policy of requiring such surveys, and that being the case, I feel obliged to describe my views,” Mr Laing said. “I am aware that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Public Roads values these surveys and does insist on them before approving subsidy payments, and I thoroughly agree that, in certain circumstances, they are necessary or very useful. These circumstances are, in my opinion: “(1) In large complex cities where there is an established town plan or a well-developed lay-out of the city, and where the selection of routes is too difficult for ordinary engineering judgment or common horse-sense. (Christchurch is a case). “(2) In smaller urban areas where ordinary judgment should enable a route to be selected with confidence, but where there are strongly-opposed points of view, perhaps by neighbouring local authorities. (Napier may have this problem).

“(3) Where confident planning is possible, but the public appear to need further .reassurance. (Wellington was an example). “The techniques used are well established now, and they do provide valuable information. The conclusions can only be as good as the information fed in, and this is often just as much a matter of judgment as a straight-out route selection would be. The routes suggested by transportation surveys may be ideal from a strictly traffic point of view, but very wrong in other effects on the city,” said Mr Laing. “Aid To Judgment” “In the case of Wellington, the survey confirmed the foothills location as a good traffic route, but it could easily have suggested a line between the port and the city,” said Mr Laing. “Had it done this, I would have argued that such a route would have harmed the city. There are many instances of this in overseas cities. In short, the transportation survey is an aid to judgment, but it must never be allowed to substitute for it. It should also be subordinate to a good town plan. If it is not, it will attract very legitimate criticism.

“The figures produced by transportation surveys give valuable information on the size—number of lanes, ramp geometry, etc.—of highway required. The surveys to do this should be within the scope of New Zealand engineering organisations without the need to employ overseas consultants and spend overseas funds. “In putting these opinions forward, the last thing I wish to do is question the value of transportation surveys in all cases. I do suggest that a hard-and-fast insistence on them may not be necessary, and that individual towns should be considered on the circumstances.

“I have discussed this with the Director of Roading (Mr

J. H. Macky) and I know that he does not agree with me. Mr Macky understands the limitation of the surveys, but believes they still provide the best available basis for orderly planning and programming. “Provided the limitations of surveys are understood, they are recognised as an aid to judgement, and are not allowed to dominate town-plan-ning, and are not made a fetish, I cannot recommend against them. I hope that by drawing attention to my views I have done no more than persuade the board to treat cases on their merits.” No Objections Mr Allen: I agree with everything Mr Laing says, and I cannot understand why the agreement is not general. The Ministry of Works representative (Mr D. J. B. Halley) said he also agreed with Mr Laing, and that he thought Mr Macky would also agree. He did not know of any objections. The Chief Highways Engineer (Mr F. A. Langbein) said that Hamilton and Napier were each thinking of engaging overseas consultants. The approval of the National Roads Board would be necessary before subsidies were obtainable for this. Some years ago, said Mr Langbein, technical advisory committees were set up. Thus the fears expressed at the overseas conference that the solutions by overseas consultants would be accepted without reference were groundless. Timaru had a hardworking technical advisory committee.

Mr Langbein said that Rotorua, Invercargill, Hastings and Hamilton were all interested in surveys by overseas consultants. Matter Of Urgency Mr Allen said the Institution of Engineers was ready to press on with its project, if it could see the scope for it in New Zealand. Mr Langbein said that if a transportation survey was askad for at the moment, there was not a New Zealand firm able to do it. A New Zealandbased overseas firm would probably be available, however. Mr Allen: We must make a start. Could we consider this as a matter of urgency? It was decided to discuss a full report on the functioning of technical advisory committees, and also to ask the Institution of Engineers about plans and progress on the possibilities of setting up a New Zealand-based consorium on transport surveys.

Mr Halley suggested that the inquiry should be broken into two —one for regional and the other for town surveys. Mr Langbein: Regional surveys are no trouble. It’s the town ones that are difficult.