TRAFFIC CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 121, 18 November 1931, Page 7

TRAFFIC CONTROL

CITY INSPECTOR'S VIEWS

WELLINGTONS PROBLEMS

The complexity of the problem of the regulation of modern traffic wag the subject of an address given to the Town Planning institute last night by, the Chief Traffic Inspector of the Wellington City Council (Mr. L. S. Drake). Increasing ■ speed through the peri fecting of motor-vehicles and roadways, said Mr. Drake, made the frequency of road accidents a matter of national concern. Wellington was a striking example of trying to adjust increasing density of traffic to streets that were inadequate both as regarded location and width. "Prom noith to south, or from. Lambton Station to Courtenay i place, there are three routes," said Mr. Drake. "(1)] Featherston street, Customhouse quay, Jervois quay, Cable street. (2) Featherston. street, Hunter street, Victoria street, Wakefield street. (3) Lamb ton. quay, Willis street, Manners street. These three routes convorge at the northern ends on to Thorndon quay, the main road into the city,-and'it is obvious that additional routes- or outlets from the city to the north will have to be provided. One advantage the city possesses is that deep water boats can be berthed right in the city, -which localises in a comparatively- small area much heavy traffic. "In some cities it has been found, by creating one-way traffic streets and restricting slower heavy traffic.to ceritain routes, and also the hours this class of traffic has entry to certain streets, that it is possible to make better use of existing facilities, and thereby increase the volume of traffic which they are capable of handling. It must not be forgotten that street widening has to provide accommodation for an increasing volume of pedestrian as well as vehicular, traffic. Many of onr main street side-walks cannot accommodate pedestrian traffic at busy, times, with the result that this traffic overflows on to the roadway,l thereby endangering itself and obstructing. vehicles in Willis, Manners, and Cuba streets, this can be seen at any busy, time. Mr. Drake thought that it might later become-necessary to bring in a scheme of traffic lanes on the Hutt road, owing to the development of the Hutt Valley and Tawa Flat. During morning hours the majority of the lanes would be used for incoming traffic, 'and in the afternoon for outgoing. He devoted some time to the problem of parking, which the Boyal Commission of Transport held had more to do with the obstruction of traffic than with accidents, though any, obstruction increased ' the dangers of the road. The right to park for an indefinite • time was a fallacy, as the streets were intended .for the movement of traffic.' THE BIGHT-HAND TURK. The chief difficulty in controlling traffic at busy intersections' was the large percentage of traffic making righthand -turns. Laws regulating traffic required revision and consolidation. It was found necessary when devising the scheme for the control by electric signals at the intersections of Willis, Manners, and Bouleott streets, to prohibit the right-hand turn from Willis street to : Bouleott street, as this turn, created too great a delay to traffic at this point. • Thus a cycle of three periods could be installed, retaining the same type of controller as installed at the intersection of Willis street, Lambton quay, and Customhouse quay. "The cycle of .the signals installed at the intersection of Manners and Taranaki streets is composed of .two, periods, thisalso applies to the Courtenay' placeClyde quay installation. To complete the ebain of signals on this route through the city,' signals may be installed at Tory street and Courtenay place crossing and also at Cuba' and Manners streets. All these operate on a- 45 seconds cycle, and when connected np to a master controller an effort will be made to make the system of 'the progressive or series type. "These intersections are nearly equal distances apart, so that a driver starting west on the green signal at Courtenay place and travelling at 'a predetermined speed will arrive at each intersection as the green light shows and obtain- right of way along Courtenay place, Manners street, and Willis streets to Lambton quay. Of 'course, this is an ideal that depends for its fulfilment on the speed that passengers can be picked up and set down front the tramcars; delays will occur, and the effect will probably bo to direct a portion of the traffic to other routes, which will be advantageous to aIL Probably in a few years one-way .traffic will have to be made compulsory -along Courtenay place, Manners street, and Willis street. One-way traffic in the opposite direction will use Victoria' and Wakefield streets. These two routes are parallel and situated close to each other. Other intersections 'that will one day have to be automatically controlled are Post Office square, opposite the Queen's Wharf gates (Lower Taranaki and Wakefield streets), Adelaide road, Biddiford and John streets,- and owing to the traffic using the new tunnol route to the east, the intersection of Hamilton road, Kilbirnie crescent, Wellington road, and Evans Bay road."