ROAD CROSSINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23400, 17 July 1939, Page 14

ROAD CROSSINGS

MARKING AND LAY-OUT IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED MOTORISTS' DIFFICULTIES In view of tin; intention' of the Auckland City Council to discontinue the existing pedestrian crossings in that section of Queen Street from Wellesley St root to Quay Street in favour of liotli manual and automatic controlled crossings, attention is being directed to the whole question of pedestrian crossings in and around Auckland. .Motoring interests point out that possibly because wet weather makes renewal difficult, the markings of many city and suburban crossings are hard to distinguish; indeed, complaint is made that in Broadway, Newmarket, for example, the white lines have been obliterated over most portions. Danger arising from the poor marking of pedestrian crossings is stressed. Pedestrians use the crossings as a matter of custom, and if there is no proper indication of a crossing motorists can not always he relied upon to anticipate that a person proposes to enforce'" the right-of-wav. Representations to Minister Apart altogether from the question of faint or partially obliterated markings, it is recognised by the State Transport Department that an improved system of lay-out of pedestrian crossings is necessary. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce has interested itself in the question of improving the present system. In a letter to the Minister of Transport, the Hon. 11. Semple, it pointed out that while a number of local bodies had placed notices on telegraph poles and the like in the vicinity of pedestrian crossings to indicate their presence, in some instances these notices were placed round corners or in such a position that at night they were in shadow rather than in the light. It was thought that local authorities generally should be discouraged from placing pedestrian crossings just round corners and also that they should be encouraged in suitable circumstances to floodlight* the white lines or to see that the lighting clearly shows up the notices indicating the presence of pedestrian crossings. Improving Visibility In acknowledging this communication. Mr. Semple said that the matter of the marking of crossings had been under consideration for some time. Recently all the local authorities and also motoring interests had been circularised by the Transport Department requesting their comments on certain proposals designed to improve the visibility of pedestrian crossings and to draw the attention of motorists to their proximity. While divergent views had been expressed by many of those to whom the proposals were referred, it was hoped that some better scheme for the layout. of the crossings and the means of indicating them would be evolved and put into effect. Legal Obligations Some of the markings of the crossings it is proposed to discontinue in Queen Street, or to replace by other systems, are now very faint and provide no proper indication to approaching motorists of their proximity. Motorists are required to exercise all reasonable care when driving, but it is considered- that if the markings of a crossing are in such a condition that they do not give a reasonable indication of the presence of a right-of-way for pedestrians, the question of their legal existence under section 4 (3) of the Traffic Regulations is involved.