SAFER HIGHWAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 69, 18 September 1936, Page 4

SAFER HIGHWAY

LIGHTING QUESTION BOARD'S DECISION HUTT VALLEY EXPERIMENT The possibility of eliminating accidents by better lighting of highways was discussed at some length at the meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board yesterday afternoon. It was finally-decided..to. ask for support in the experimental lighting of a stretch of highway within the two boroughs. The matter was brought up by Mr. li. Stewart, who moved that the board illuminate the main highway between the Lower Hutt bridge and the woollen mills, at Petone. The board should do. this not for purposes of gain but for advertising, he-said- If the highway was' illuminated in a brilliant manner it would impress local bodies, which would , probably go in for a better system of street lighting as a ■ result. During the depression the •local bodies had lessened the number of street lights, thus affecting the board's revenue. The 60 to 100 candlepower lamps were behind the times and they did not illuminate sufficiently the black, spots on the road, which were.dangerous for pedestrians. A commercial concern about the size of the. power board spent about £IOOO a year on advertising the sales of its wares, Mr. Stewart continued. The Hutt board, had current that could be utilised for the purpose of illuminating the highway. The new vapour-type of lamp installed in Lower Hutt had-been so successful that the borough council was going to approach the board about the cost of installing another twelve such lamps. He had been greatly impressed, said Mr. Stewart, by the appeal of the Minister of Transport about lessening the toll of life on the road. There had been a number' of lives lost on the highway which it was proposed to illuminate. Lambton Quay was dangerous for pedestrians before the new type of vapour lamps were installed, but since then the number of accidents had been greatly lessened, and this also applied to Jervojs Quay since the lighting was improved there. If the Hutt Board installed some of these lamps the local bodies might go in for better lighting in the back streets. If the board illuminated the main highway through tile Hutt Valley other .bodies mightpossibly., be urged .to .illuminate the" whole/of the-Hutt Roadout from Wellington and make it one great white way.

The motion was seconded by Mr. J. W. Andrews, who said that the scheme was worthy of consideration if it brought more revenue in to the board. He thought that, possibly a better means of advertising would be to install two lamps of the latest type at Lower Hutt,.and Petone and one each at: Eastbourne,and Upper Hutt. Mr.' Stewart explained that part of the cost of,the lighting would be borne by the local bodies, which were paying at present.

COST OF PROPOSAL. The engineer and general manager (Mr. E. F. Hollands) explained that the extra current required for the lighting-of v the highway would interfere with the peak. There was difficulty in putting the lamps on one side of - the street where .the main transmission lines : of the Post and Telegraph: Department went through to Upper Hutt.-"' Special arrangements would have to be made about this. Twelve lamps would have' to be erected at a cost of £384, and as about four times this number would be required thecapital cost would be about £ISOO. The cost per lamp per annum would be about £l2 5s or £l2 10s. Mr. A. Walker said that the idea was a good. one. What was required was a concentrated light on the highway. ;The _cp-operate with the other local bodies and get their assistances... ,The board should not undertake the: Whole expenditure by itself. •Mr. .£.. J, .McCurdy supported the resolution. The Hutt VaUey should get but,of the rut,; he said, and indicate to the local bodies that a better type of illumination was possible. Mr. Hollands added that he had called for prices for extra lighting of the stretch of highway under discussion, and had gone into the matter with two. firms... He ..suggested that.as the illuminationr«oirWe highway was experimental the Power Board , should ask for the support of the Highways Board, the. Transport Department, and the local bodies concerned.. Mr. G. London said that the local bodies should contribute to the cost of illuminating the highway. It was not fair that the Hutt Valley should bear the whole of the cost, when the road was used by ia large volume of through traffic. ■''•'. NOT A MATTER OF PROFIT,

Mr. S.Blackley stated that the board was not making a profit out of street lighting and it certainly should not make a profit. It was a matter for the local authorities if they wanted the expenditure or not. If the public wanted special lighting they should have a look at Lambton Quay and see whether they liked it or not. As regards the lighting of the Hutt highway, the Transport Department was interested, the. Public Works Department might possibly give a concession on the cost of current, and the local bodies in particular could give their co-operation. Mr. P.DoWse said he favoured the proposal, but he thought it was a matter for ..the local bodies if they wanted- better street lighting. Some of them apparently did not. He moved as an .amendment, that the Petone and Lower IH'utt Borough Councils be asked if they would meet for six months the .additional running cost of mercury. : vapour lamps installed between Petone. railway crossing and the Lower Hutt Railway Station, Mr. Blackley: Why not go from the woollen mills to the V.I.C. corner? The Highways Board, the Public Works Department, the two local bodies, and the Power Board come into it.

Mr. A. W. Press said he would support Mr. Dowse's amendment if it was amended as. follows: "That the Hutt and Petone Borough Councils, 'the Highways Boards the Transport Department, and other public bodies interested be approached with the object of securing their co-operation in lighting an experiment stretch of main highway, within, the boundaries of the two boroughs, and that the engineer prepare a scheme, whereby the cost of the experiment be pooled and a basis for future cost of maintenance be approved." The chairman (Mr. J. J. Maher) congratulated Mr. Stewart on his motionIt Was better, he said, to travel in a car on an' unlighted - road than on a road half-lighted. The board should not be so frightened of the peak load. The Hutt Road was particularly dangerous because of the prevalence of cyclists. Mr. London said that through traffic was a big problem in the Hutt Valley, and Petone' thought' strongly on the matter. If.the price was right Petone would probably join in with the scheme.

Mr. Press's phrasing of the amendment ..wus carried unanimously..