City Traffic Control

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31769, 28 August 1968, Page 18

City Traffic Control

The traffic control system and the oneway streets proposed for the central area of Christchurch were discussed last evening by the City Traffic Engineer (Mr H. E. Surtees) and the Deputy Traffic Superintendent (Mr A. Laing).

They spoke to the monthly meeting of the Canterbury Salesmen’s Club.

Mr Laing said that the trend would be to keep heavy vehicles to a minimum in the centre of the city. As the city developed, contractors who worked in the centre might start at 6 a.m. and have their work done by 10 a.m., he said. In some parts of the city served by big trucks, 2 m.p.h. was all that could be done on some days over short lengths in particularly bad spots.

Mr Laing said that there were 104,007 private cars last year in the Christchurch

city licensing district. The number of vehicles, including service vehicles and rental cars, was 124,102. But the meter space was for only 1600.

Kerb-side spacing had to be fairly shared among all road users, he said. Mr Surtees said that the parking space in the inner city was 13,000. Of this roughly half was on the street and half was off the street in buildings, yards, lanes and lots.

As part of the planning scheme, the council had resolved to provide parking within this area at a greater rate than on-street parking would be lost. In 1980 20,000 spaces would be available. Mr Surtees said that parking buildings per unit car space could be built cheaper than roads could be built. It was not good planning to clutter up the thoroughfares with parked vehicles. The five-year development plan would cost $600,000, he said. The economic advantages to the community were

such that it would save between $500,000 and $750,000 a year. This represented the reduction in the cost of running the transport system. Time taken in stops and starts at intersections represented money to the transport operator and was costly for the city as a whole. A reduction in accidents would also be worth a lot to the community. Within the one-way streets area 350 accidents occurred each year, he said. 1

In reply to a question, Mr Surtees said that some landowners must be inconvenienced by one-way streets. But the traffic department believed that the advantages would far out-weigh the disadvantages. No move would be taken by the council to force alterations to existing premises. But over the years restrictions would begin to apply. Ultimately it might be necessary to propose to warehouse owners, stores and transport operators that they keep their major activity outside peak hours.