Digest of the Traffic Report.
Page 15
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(Concluded from page 574a.)
Tube railways receive no great measure of benediction at the hands of the Commissioners, who refer to the poor returns on the capital involved ; but a more favourable view is taken of rail. ways in shallow subways. They proceed: "It appears to us that, so far as convenience to the public using the railway is concerned, the facilities which ' shallow ' railways afford, for all oescriptions of traffic, are much greater than those which can be given by ' tube ' railways, and that, wherever the ' shallow ' ibrm of construction can be satisfactorily employed in London, preference should be given to it. The efficacy and usefulness of the report hinges entirely on the creation of a "Traffic Board." This Board would undertake, amongst other duties :—(a) To present an annual report to Parliament dealing with such matters as the control of traffic, the regulation of the statutory powers of breaking up the streets for various purposes, the removal of any special obstructions to traffic, the provision of new lines of railway or tramway, the calling attention to any errors or oversights in the maintenance of streets and roads on the part of local or street authorities, the progress of street widenings, new street construction, and "loop" roads ; (b) the preliminary examination before consideration by Parliament of Bills seeking statutory powers for the construction or extension of works affecting the means of locomotion and transport in "Greater London ', ; (c) to sit continuously, with reasonable periods of holiday ; (di to make suggestions for improvements, and to settle clauses in Bills ; (e) to investigate certain railway, tramway, and other problems; (f) to report, where required, to the Government or, with the Government's approval, to local bodies, on such subjects as : (1) The improvement of the main roads leading out of London ; (a) the Building Laws as affecting districts not yet built over within the area of Greater London " ; (3) the revision and amendment of the laws regulating the breaking up of streets; and (4) the consolidation and amendment of the laws affecting traffic.
The Commissioners conclude as follows : We do not think it necessary, in conclusion, to repeat all the recommendations contained in our report, but it may be convenient to present, in a very few words, the general result of our protracted enquiry. It is imperatively necessary, in the interests of public health and public convenience, and for the prompt transaction of business, as well as to render decent housing possible, that the means of locomotion and transport in London and its adjacent districts should be improved : they are seriously defective, and the demands and needs of the public are annually increasing. The main obstacle to such improvement is the narrowness of the streets, which were not laid out in accordance with any general plan. The arterial roads leading out of London largely suffer from the same defects. A comprehensive plan for the improvement of streets and main roads should be prepared and carried out continuously, as financial circumstances will allow. We have suggested some improvements : many more might be suggested, but the difficulty is one of money, and progress must be gradual.
Building laws and regulations, in regard to width, are required to preserve gardens and forecourts in existing streets, with a view to future widening, so as to ensure a sufficient breadth for new streets, and to make certain that, on property hereafter laid out for building, ample space shall be reserved for through as well as for local traffic.
Increased modern means of locomotion and transport are much needed, both to facilitate movement within the central area, and to facilitate access to and from and within the suburbs for those who work in London and live outside. Electric tramways and railways are necessary for both these purposes ; tramways mostly for the former, and railways mostly for the latter, with inter-connection between the two.
The tramway system of London is disconnected and insufficient : it should be largely extended, and the portions of the tramway system that are now isolated should be linked together, through communication being provided from east to west, and from north to south.
We believe that much could be done in tramway development without having recourse, at any rate in the first instance, to great and costly street improvements, but, as such improvements are unavoidable, in any case, the preference should be given to those which will facilitate the extension of the tramway system.
The absolute " veto " over the construction of tramways possessed by local and street authorities should be abolished throughout the area of "Greater London," but with a preferential right to county councils, and the Corporation of the City of London, to construct tramways within their districts, if they are prepared to do so. Tramways should run through from side to side of London, so far as possible, and termini, in the streets and central districts, should be avoided.
In regard to railways, their further development must be governed by the features of the existing and authorised systems, which should be extended and improved : we have suggested various extensions and improvements.
It is important that all possible facilities should be afforded to suburban passengers, arriving at the terminal stations, to reach their destinations throughout the central area by railway, either by means of through trains, or by interchange within the stations to which the suburban trains may run.
In the more crowded parts of London, where property is expensive, railways must be placed underground. Railways in shallow subways are preferable to "tube" railways, where the cost is not prohibitive, or where other considerations do not render them impracticable. We desire to draw special attention to the importance that urban railways, traversing London from side to side, on routes where there is a heavy traffic, should have four lines of way, in order to provide a separate service for fast and for stopping trains, and thus admit, by means of a few interchange stations, of rapid transit to the suburbs from all the stations on the local service lines.
Owing to the high capital cost of " tube " railways, constructed under present conditions, there is a difficulty in providing a sufficient number of such railways to distribute population over the outlying districts, but we are advised that it is possible to construct a cheaper type of deep-level railway adapted for suburban traffic, with fewer and less expensive stations, and rising to the surface when the open country is reached : such railways would help to solve the "housing problem" by carrying the population to districts not yet built over.
If private enterprise will not construct the necessary railways, the local authorities might be authorised to give assistance in view of the fact that re-housing within the central area involves a heavy loss to the rates, and that it may be cheaper, and will be better in other respects, to help in making healthier residences in the suburbs accessible. Assistance might be afforded, either by remission of rates, or by direct contribution, according to the precedent of the Light Railways Act, x896, and the recommendations of the Joint Committee of igot on London Underground Railways.
In cases where railways exist, but additional train services are required to open up new districts for building, and railway companies decline, and cannot, under the existing law be compelled, to put on additional trains, local authorities might be empowered, if the necessity is urgent, to guarantee, for a limited period, such net receipts per train mile, for the proposed trains, as may be reasonable.
In cases where a new railway is proposed to be made, which would have the effect of opening out a district for building purposes, we think that a railway company might be authorised to purchase, under proper safeguards, land, likely to be increased in value by the construction of the railway, by means of voluntary agreement with the owner of such land.
As no practicable improvement of the streets, that can be carried out for many years, will completely remove the congestion of street traffic, special attention should be given to :— (x) Improved regulations for traffic.
(2) The avoidance of certain oversights or defects in the construction and maintenance of the streets ; the removal of fixed obstructions from them in certain cases ; and the control, in the future, of the erection of such obstructions.
(3 The introduction of a system for minimising the evils caused by the breaking up of the streets by persons and companies having statutory authority to do so.
(4) Regulation of the use of the streets by costermongers and itinerant vendors.
(5) The removal of special obstructions to traffic.
A comprehensive plan for the improvement and construction of main roads leading out of London should be prepared, and arrangements made for carrying out such plan, and for the proper maintenance of the roads when constructed. Improved building laws are required for application to districts not yet built over, and possibly it may be found expedient, in special cases, to prepare "building plans" for particular areas. The law affecting traffic, and prescribing the respective functions and powers of the municipal, local, and other authorities in "Greater London" should be simplified and consolidated.
A Traffic Board should be appointed with jurisdiction over "Greater London," constituted as explained in Part ITT. of this Report, and authorised and required, to discharge the duties therein set forth.