U.I.T.P. Conference
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Wide Range of Problems Discussed at Copenhagen
Town and Traffic Planning Must be Co-ordinated; Radio Communication with all Vehicles; Air Suspension Tests; More Co-ordination Needed between Road and Rail. These Were Some Subjects Before the International Union of Public Transport This Week
Public Transport and Urban Traffic Plans
THOSE who are responsible for the operation of public transport services must be present at, and play a part in, discussions of town-planning arrangements for built-up areas; the drawing-up of the general traffic plans; and co-operation between public and private transport, otherwise no solution will be found to urban traffic problems. This was the conclusion drawn by Dr.-Ing. F. Lehner, of Hanover, after a study of public transport within the framework of urban general traffic plans.
He believes that structural changes in the economy and housing, together with the rapid increase in motor-vehicle traffic, have given rise, in the towns and urban areas, but particularly in the town centres, to traffic problems which cannot be resolved by means of town planning (road construction) and traffic organization alone.
The problems ought, therefore, to be seized by the roots, i.e., the towns must be adapted to altered economic and social structures, and the reasons for which traffic is created must be established. This will necessitate renovation of towns and reorganization of traffic.
As the communal boundaries no longer correspond to the "living room of thetown," renovation and reorganization of traffic must include the whole economic area coming under the influence of the large town. Town, regional and also county planning must, therefore, be co-ordinated.
Having regard to the close, inter-connection between town and traffic, town planning and traffic planning must be co-ordinated, in order to ensure an optimum solution for the whole area.
The general building plan, on which the renovation of the town is based, must be supplemented by means of a general traffic plan, the purpose of which is to ensure the co-ordination of every transport installation and every type of transport, in agreement with town planning.
It is essential that public transport must not be omitted from the general traffic plan, and its representatives should belong to the planning committee. This plan ought to be based on the results of thorough research and a balance sought between public and private transport, which could be found in a division of responsibilities and co-operation.
In the interests of a uniform transport policy within the urban area, an endeavour must be made to ensure co-ordination between the public carriers with the object of uniformity of transport.
Legal regulations providing for uniform town planning and traffic arrangements in the urban area appear necesc14 sary; and also State assistance to finance the reorganizatior of public transport.
The report was drawn up on the experiences of tit( author in dealing with transport and town-planning problems, and on the results of an inquiry from 81 under. takings in 21 countries-70 in 16 European countries and 11 in the U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Israel,
Economic Aspects of Passenger Fare Structures
pARES structures cannot be considered in isolation. Fares
policy, and all others that an operator pursues, should be part of the general operating policy. This was stated by Mr. R. M. Robbins, Chief Commercial Officer, London Transport Executive, and Mr. R. Postgate, Traffic Auditor, London Transport Executive, in a paper on the economic aspects of passenger fares structures.
They add that they believe the closest links exist between the degree of refinement in charging, the capacity of the vehicles, and the standard of comfort offered to passengers.
After studying the statistics provided by many systems, they say it is demonstrated that the simpler fares structures (particularly flat fares) are fully appropriate only when operating circumstances are relatively simple and route lengths short. When operations are more complicated, fares structures which relate fares to distances travelled may encourage a greater volume of traffic and a higher gross revenue, because the basis of charge is appropriate to so many different categories of traffic.
On costs of operation their view is that the relationship between fares structure and costs varies very much between one undertaking and another and does not conform to any pattern.
So far as the efficiency of fares collection is concerned, with the mechanization of ticker issue, a sectional fares structure is not of itself inimical to efficiency in fares collection, but the necessity to give change is so. A simple or flat fares structure does not eliminate change-giving; but it may make it possible to transfer the activity away from the vehicle. Another consideration is whether charges coincide with commonly used coin denominations.
The general trends in the industry appear to be: a definite tendency to endeavour to reduce the costs of operation, either (a) by having even larger (often articulated) vehicles operated by a crew of two; or (b) by having large capacity, one-man-operated vehicles There is a perceptible tendency towards greater graduation of fares, in order to maximize gross traffic receipts. There is a slight but possibly growing tendency to consider vehicles offering a standard of comfort comparable with that offered by the private car, in order to reduce the effects of private car competition.
It is clear that these three tendencies may to some extent come into conflict with one another. It would be difficult to formulate an all-embracing policy when local circumstances differ so widely; but in due course we should expect the need to provide a high standard of comfort to be likely to assume greater importance. Ultimately, however, if the wages element in transport costs becomes of preponderant importance, the attractions of one-man operation are likely to become increasingly evident, as can be seen in America. These attractions need to be qualified from the point of view of passengers and operators.
The interdependence between charging, the capacity of the vehicle, and the standard of comfort offered, is inescapable. The relative weight to be attached to each constitutes the crucial issue before operators.
Traffic Control by Radio and Television
IN a paper on the methods of technique and organization I for the control of traffic by radio and television, Mr. S. Camp, managing director of the Gothenburg undertaking in Sweden, considers that television is not of direct use in the central control of traffic, but has an ever-increasing function to play in the supervision of underground railway stations.
A more urgent need for the various traffic authorities seems to be that, with the aid of tele-technical means, it may be possible to establish the position of all vehicles on a certain route. With a complete radio installation it is possible for vehicles to notify any delays, but tabulation is imperfect.
Experiments are being made with equipment for both trams and buses, the foremost of which is probably "Bessie," used by London Transport. With this system the vehicle number is read off by means of a ray sent out from a stationary post and reflected by different coloured Scotch lights on the vehicle. The latter are arranged so that they form a binary value which is read off by a photo-electric cell and transmitted by wire to a traffic control centre.
Other methods used employ small radio transmitters in the vehicles which broadcast coded impulses picked up by stationary receivers at certain points. These devices indicate when a vehicle passes a certain point along the route, hut cannot relay information as to the cause of delay.
It would therefore be desirable to have simultaneous indication as to where all vehicles on a route are at a given moment. To bring this about one solution would be to provide all vehicles with radio transmitters, and fix positions by means of methods similar to hyperbola navigating at sea, resulting in maximum efficiency in traffic control.
The conclusions reached are that radio has proved an indispensable help for traffic control in local public transport undertakings. Its full use can only be obtained if all vehicles are equipped for transmitting and receiving messages. The speed attained in reporting and dealing with disturbances would be of the utmost value for obtaining transnort efficiency: particularly in the present-day traffic situation when individual traffic makes the streets so congested, and it becomes impossible to maintain the operation of public transport timetables.
A central traffic control equipped with apparatus which can indicate and pin-point the position of all vehicles within the traffic area, and with radio communication to all vehicles, seems to be the most effective way of controlling and directing traffic in today's situation.
Air Suspension on Modern Buses
ON the question of air suspension on modern motorbuses, M. M. Floner, of France, considered the results of a questionnaire to 78 undertakings operating 34,600 vehicles and drew the following conclusions:—
The provision of a satisfactory degree of comfort makes it necessary for the frequencies of the suspension itself to be low-60 cycles per minute appears to be an average figure to be recommended—and to vary only slightly over the whole range of loads which the vehicle is designed to carry. It is, in addition, advisable that the variations in load should give rise to the minimum possible variations in the height of the steps.
Unfortunately this double objective cannot be attained in the case of modern motorbuses, the payload of which tends, today, to equal the unladen weight, when the suspension consists of the normal type of solid spring, even if it is used in conjunction with devices ensuring varying flexibility.
Integral or mix-air suspension, providing for the correction of the vehicle set—particularly air springs using a constant volume of air and under low pressure—supplies a solution of great interest. It gives rise, however, at least so far as the integral version is concerned, to certain complications in regard to the provision of the connections between the running gear and the superstructure, although they are largely offset by the advantages obtained.
Experiments with vertical accelerations measured on the passengers in a running vehicle, and the spectral analysis of the curve recorded, show the superiority of air suspension over suspension using rigid springs.
To gain in comfort and reducing the height of the steps, which is now no 'longer questioned, it would appear that air suspension can add economic advantages. While i i'. premature to produce suitable figures the cost of maintenance of the normal type of spring is often high and has been estimated at three times the cost of a new spring per 100,000 km.-vehicle.
On the other hand, the cost of air suspension maintenance appears relatively low and the effect of it on the behaviour of the whole of the suspended parts is beneficial.
It is, therefore, logical to assume that the slight increase in cost resulting from its adoption on mass-produced material would be offset by a reduction in the cost of maintenance.
The is of the opinion that, for these reasons, the period of improvement and experiment of this new type of suspension will soon be terminated, and manufacturers w;ll be in a position to propose concrete solutions offering considerable improvement both in comfort and economics.
Metropolitan Railways in Urban Transport
Pr HE experience of urban transport undertakings in metro' politan railway operation was assessed by Mr. B. H. Harbour, a member of the London Transport Executive.
His conclusions are that the combination of circumstances resulting, about 40 years ago, in decisions to build metropolitan railways, varied in different cities, but the need for a quicker method of travel into the central area, the provision of peak-hour capacity, and the linking of mainline railway termini, were prominent reasons for construction.
Such construction is currently contemplated mainly as a means of overcoming street traffic congestion, and is supreme over all other methods of achieving this object, as is demonstrated by recent American plans where the worsening road traffic problem has made cities of half a million inhabitants think for the first time in terms of a railway solution.
Metropolitan railways built as an aid to expansion have had the desired result and have a marked influence on population distribution. The evidence puts it beyond doubt that commuter traffic could not be catered for in the larger cities without a metropolitan railway.
Comprehensive surveys in some American cities have shown that metropolitan railways are much cheaper to construct than motorway systems of equivalent passenger capacity, and involve much less disturbance to civic communities. There is also a social justification in that it benefits the whole community, and financial assistance should be considered.
In New York, Berlin and some other cities it is taken for granted that at least the cost of constructing the tunnel for underground railways is borne by public funds.
Mr. Harbour is convinced that no form of road transport can do the work of a metropolitan railway, which is primarily the mass carriage of passengers over both medium and relatively short distances; and also over short distances where road congestion cannot be relieved. The burden on the roads is relieved and the increased transport efficiency is reflected in the prosperity and vitality of a city.
Relations Between Local and National Rail and Road Transport
THE possibility of establishing closer relations and effective co-operation between different public transport undertakings was discussed by Signor M. Paribeni in his paper on relations between regional light railways and motor transport and national railways.
After reviewing the actively antagonistic and competitive spirit which arose between rail and road when the latter showed signs of vigorous development, and the neglect of almost every opportunity to bring about co-operation in a useful and logical manner, he summarizes future relations by asking whether it would be possible and advisable to intensify such relations as exist, or even to create new ones.
He says there can be no doubt that, at the time, an error was committed, due, in part, to the failure to estimate the real strength and capabilities of development of road transport, and, in part, to the prevalence of a feeling of antagonism between the old and new systems of transport.
It is scarcely necessary to draw attention to the advantages which could be obtained if it were possible to organize combined road/rail transport in such a way that the collection and delivery of traffic would be affected by the former and mass transport by the latter.
Such an arrangement would, however, meet with obstacles in the case of passenger traffic, by reason of the necessity of obliging users to accept the inconvenience of changing, as well as in that of goods traffic, because of the expense involved in repeated loading and unloading.
So far as 'passenger traffic is concerned, all that could be done would be to introduce the few practical measures which can be adopted to minimize the inconvenience of changing: organization of the transfer of passengers in such a way that they have only short distances to walk (if possible under cover); reduction of waiting time by means of synchronized connections, or an increase in the frequency of services; provision of ample accommodation on vehicles so as to eliminate, or reduce to a minimum, the disadvantages of rush-hour travel, and so on.
Such arrangements are, in general, costly and usually
not very effective, particularly when distances arc small. Goods traffic is entirely different, for road transport et 6
succeeded very rapidly in securing a large proportion of it, due principally to its flexibility, enabling the services provided to be adapted to the fluctuations in demand, and facilitate door-to-door transport.
Railways have for a long time been searching for means to reduce the number of costly loading and unloading operations, and attempts were made to design railway wagons suitable for running on roads. The number of systems designed to enable road vehicles to be carried on rail is much greater and such vehicles are usually of a special type. Little use is made of rail-road vehicles except in France, where they have recently been standardized.
Practically the whole of the mixed road-rail traffic in France is carried by private undertakings who have voluntarily agreed to replace their own lorries by means of semitrailers and tractors so as to secure for rail a proportion of road traffic without affecting their own interests.
These semi-trailers have the disadvantage of requiring the provision of carefully designed terminal equipment, and have to be loaded and unloaded in a longitudinal direction, necessitating the use of drop-end wagons fitted with ramps. A new patent side-loading vehicle is the "Swiss Container Car," made in Switzerland, the use of which is spreading to.other European countries.
Road on Rail
In the United States experiments have been made with the loading of ordinary road vehicles and also, more recently, in Western Germany, where between the Ruhr and Hamburg complete night trains have been used, comprising 40 ordinary flat wagons and one carriage for vehicle crews.
Experience available up to the present is insufficient to enable an opinion to be expressed regarding the results which can be obtained but, as it entails inefficient use of the road-vehicle crews, and the vehicles themselves—particularly motor units and pneumatic-tyred vehicles—it would not appear to be economically , justified in the case of mass organized transport, but rather in that of irregular transport over routes carrying a relatively small amount of traffic.
The most promising experiments are the Michelin system, which makes use of a relatively simple device for coupling the steering mechanism of the road transport vehicle to the appropriate automatic guiding device; and the more recent system, put forward in Italy, under which tracks are constructed for use by the ordinary type of railway vehicle and specially equipped road vehicles.
One Solution
The introduction of a really efficient system of this description, making use of through vehicles, would enable the problem of the mixed carriage, both of passenger and goods traffic, to be solved.
In conclusion, it must be acknowledged that the relations already established between local and national railways are substantially satisfactory, although the opinion has been expressed that new relations could usefully be established with the object of regulating the transfer to local railways of those lines belonging to national railways which are not showing a profit. Run as private undertakings, and maintaining more homogeneous services, they would be in a position to operate at less cost, and road services could be more easily introduced in replacement of uneconomic lines.
On the other hand the relations between the national railways and local transport should be extended and perfected, particularly door-to-door service. None of the others, so far designed, appears to be perfectly satisfactory.