The Road Conference at Olympia.
Page 23
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Abstracts from the Papers (Continued front page 280).
a• • The Allocation of Responsibility.'
The maintenance of the streets would, of course, remain with existing local authorities, but the central body would deal with those problems with which only a central body can deal, and should lay down those general principles which will prevent highway administration remaining in its present chaotic condition. The following is a summary of the duties which might he placed upon the new authority ; (1) To draw up, after consultation with all the authorities and interests concerned, a plan of an improved larger London, to which all new streets and street improvements shall be required to. conform.
(2) To provide in that scheme for necessary new roads, railways, tramways, light railways, etc. Local author-flies should be consulted as regards tramways, but their consent should not be necessary.
(3) To obtain Parliamentary sanction for the construction of such roads, tubes, tramways, light railways, etc. (4) To arrange with local authorities, tramway or other companies, or other persons to construct the works sanctioned by Parliament under such conditions as may be agreed. (5) To empower local authorities, tramway and other companies, or other persons to work such tubes, tramways, light railways, etc.,under such conditions as may be agreed. (6) To undertake the construction of new trunk roads passing into more than one county. (7) To supervise the maintenance of the trunk roads, and to administer (1) an Imperial grant, (2) a metropolitan fund in aid of their maintenance.
(8) To draw up regulations for the guidance of the highway authorities in tho discharge of their highway duties, to which regulations the highway autholities shall be required to conform,
(9) To draw up regulations for the guidance of other authorities and persons who have statutory powers over the roads, to which these authorities and persons shall be required to conform.
(11:q To fix the minimum width of all roads with reference to present and future traffic requirements, with power to take land compulsorily (without application to Parliament) for such road widenings.
(II) To authorise the taking of land tequired for public purposes compulsorily by local authorities. (12) To settle, in case of dispute, the proportion of the cost of any new road or public =pavement to be paid by the local authorities, tramway companies, landowners, and others benefiting by such new road, improvement, etc. (13) To administer the London equalisation of rates fund, and other grants in aid of local rates not allocated to special services, with power to withhold such grants if the local authorities fail to carry out their highway duties efficiently.
N.B.—The grant-in-aid allocated to a particular service, the payment of which is conditional upon efficiency, is the most effective instrument for securing efficiency and economy in local administration which has yet been discovered. The unconditional and unallocated grant-in-aid, on the contrary, contributes to inefficiency and extravagance.
(14) To levy a rate. (151 To make by-laws for the regulation of the traffic. (16) To act as an intelligence department and to collect and publish systematically statistics relating to traffic, with power to require the police and the local authorities to furnish the necessary information for this purpose.
Constitution of London Traffic Board.
On the question of the constitution of such a body as the one proposed different views will be held. There are three practical alternatives :—
(I) A to-opted body composed of elected representatives of all the highway authorities in the metropolitan area, This
would not be very satisfactory as the co-opted bodies lack initiative, and iced l jealousies divide them. The various representatives study the interests of their own particular district, rather than the needs of the Metropolis as a whole. (2) A co-opted body composed cm the above lines, but the bodies electing representatives to the new central authority to be limited to the City of London and the County Councils. This scheme would hardly be fair to the Borough and Urban Councils, which are, at the present time, the chief authorities dealing with the roads.
(3) A small expert commission appointed by the Government. A commission of this kind would have singleness of aim, and would work with greater unity and smoothness than a co-opted body. Paris was improved by a commission consisting of. one man. Washington was improved by a commission of three men. Thes-i are experiences which it would not be wise to overlook.
Obstructions and Intersecting Thoroughfares.
Finally, I should like to draw attention to one or two matters which would come within the scope of the central authority, but which it is hoped in the meantime will be dealt with by total authorities.
(1) Abolition of central standards. These are a great source of danger and obstruction to London thoroughfares. They furnish an illustration of the conflicting methods of the present road authorities. At the moment that St. Pancras and Paddington are removing these obstructions, Marylebone is erecting them ! Last year those dangerous electric standards existing along Marylebone Road, from Portland Road Station to Cower Street, were removed. This year the Borough of Marylebone has reduced the traffic capacity of Oxford Street by one-third, by erecting central standards. Quite recently Einchley Urban District Council, in spite of objections, caused central tramway poles to be erected along the Great North Road. This year the City of Nottingham has decided that central standards ate a great mistake, and has resolved to spend the ratepayers' money in removing them from streets much wider than the Great North Road.
(2) Dealing with traffic at important cross-roads is one of the most difficult questions of the traffic problem. It is to be regretted that the construction of circuses, as at Oxford Circus, Holborn Circus, and Piccadilly Circus, has not been more widely adopted. No better means can be found of providing for cross main-road traffic. The extension of the circus principle at cross-roads not only in urban, but in rural districts, is urgently demanded by reason of the increase in motorcar traffic. (3) In theory the road exists to enable the public to travel from A to B in the shortest time. In practice it seems to be used for many other purposes. Reference has already been made to the views held by some authorities that the chief purpose of roads is to enable them to erect tramway Or electric-light standards thereon. Others think they should be turned in'o cab-yards. The centre of the highway, it is thought by others, is the proper place for public conveniences. Children consider the road their proper playground. Electric, gas and water companies consider the roads the place in which to lay their mains and cables. In country districts roadside dwellers turn the road into a farm-yard. Against all these active interests the interest of the traveller has not been able to prevail.
To secure the road for the traveller, to adapt it for the conveyance of passengers and goods from place to place with all speed, is one of the greatest problems in which oar local authorities and their executive officers can interest themselves.