CONTROL OF TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20827, 20 March 1931, Page 12

CONTROL OF TRAFFIC.

\»■ . " AUTOMATIC APPARATUS.

TRIAL IN AUCKLAND.

EXHAUSTIVE INQUIRIES MADE.

Following exhaustive inquiries abroad concerning automatic traffic control signals, carried out by the city engineer and the chief traffic inspector, the City Council decided last evening to obtain a set of American apparatus on loan for trial at an intersection.

The two reported that plans of 10 intersections, with full data, had been prepared and sent to 13 manufacturers in different parts of the world. Eight had so far replied, and two l had definitely ' slated ttyat it would be difficult to instal apparatus in the places mentioned. The city engineer of San Francisco, in a letter, had said that at least 1200 vehicles an hour for four hours daily in the principal street under control was necessary to warrant the installation of automatic signalling. No intersection in Auckland had such'a volume of traffic.

The report stated that provision for trams, especially since right-hand turns were allowed in the Auckland system, made automatic apparatus necessarily much more complicated. Both officers were satisfied that under such conditions working would not be so efficient as with manual signalling. 'The speed of operation of the apparatus would need to be altered at least four times daily to meet variations in traffic density.

One type of apparatus, made by a company in Los Angeles, had advantages over all the others of which details had been received, as it combined a semaphore and lamps. The company had offered to lend one set for trial free of charge, and this might be considered, as the cost of installation should not exceed £SO.

The Legal and By-laws Committee recommended that the trial should be carried out i In reply to a question, Mr. G. Ashley, on behalf of the committee, said a flow of 1200 vehicles an hour would shortly be attained at some Auckland intersections, and the apparatus would have an educative value. ' It had been proposed to install it at the intersection of Queen and Victoria Streets, where there had been many accidents and where no officer was stationed. An alternative point was in Queerf Street, opposite the Town Hall. The report was adopted. i