CENSUS OF ROAD TRAFFIC.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 230, 27 August 1935, Page 8

CENSUS OF ROAD TRAFFIC.

VITAL FACTS EXPECTED. Ten thousand men, equipped with pencils and elaborate “score-sheets,” and housed in brightly-painted sentry boxes, recently completed a week’s census of England’s road traffic. Posted at 5600 points, covering 26.700 miles of first-class roads from Land’s End to John O’ Groats, they made records to enable road development to be planned for 20 years ahead. The metropolitan area was excluded, because traffic figures there already are available, but tabulations were made in Manchester, Glasgow, and other cities and towns.

The enumerators’ task at busy sections was no sinecure, and at some points two men recorded the passage or 100 or more vehicles and pedestrians every minute. The “score-slieets” discriminate between 26 classes of traffic. In certain areas pedestrians were included and these might include a battalion of soldiers. Pedestrians had never before been counted in a traffic census. The steam roller was the only type of vehicle excluded. A surprise was the number of pedal cycles. One enumerator recorded 800 in an hour and other 1100 in four hours, against 1200 motor-cars. At some points the census continued for 24 hours daily, but at others the houis were 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. An analysis of the figures is expected to supply vital information concerning the main directions of traffic, and the need for new roads, new footpaths, and cycle tracks. A summary of the records is not expected for months.

A British wireless message on August 11 stated : The census agents will cover every first-class road, and at the selected points everything and everyone that passes —lorries, omnibuses, private cars, cycles and pedestrians —each day, next week will be counted by enumerators, working in relays. The Ministry holds a traffic census every three years, but for reasons of economy, the one due last year was not held. The purpose of the census is to find out how and where traffic has increased since 1931. An average weight is assigned to each class of vehicle, so that it will be possible to estimate not only the volume and density of traffic, but the weight per traffic yard. When the figures have been analysed, the Ministry will be in a position to determine how far roadbuilding programmes are keeping pace with the increased traffic.