TRAFFIC CONTROL LIGHTS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24895, 7 June 1946, Page 6

TRAFFIC CONTROL LIGHTS

CHANGES TO BE MADE » IN CITY

EXTENSION NOT YET CONSIDERED

“The first step in Christchurch will be to bring the existing traffic control lights into conformity with the requirements of the New Zealand accepted road code. After that, no doubt, the City Council will consider, as a policy matter, whether the installation of automatic lights at other intersections is desirable.” said the Chief City Traffic Inspector (Mr C. S. Nicholson) yesterday when a reporter of “The Press” referred to him a report that the Auckland traffic authorities proposed to spend large sums on the extension '•of the system of automatic traffic control.

Mr Nicholson said the road code laid down fairly explicit rules for the guidance of traffic authorities in deciding whether or not automatic control was justified. The standard laid down was a minimum of 1000 vehicles an. hour using the intersection over a 10-hour period, usually 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.. with at least 25 per cent of the traffic turning. It was obvious, said Mr Nicholson, that a decision on whether or not automatic control was required must be made in the light of up-to-date traffic tallies. Traffic was now returning to normal after the six-year period of restricted driving brought about by petrol and tyre shortages. Nevertheless, the traffic habits of a community changed considerably over the years, and the opening of new roads and arterial outlets, several of which were planned for Christchurch, might conceivably bring about marked changes in traffic distribution. Mr Nicholson added that one intersection in Wellington was so involved, and the automatic light control system so confusing, that motorists shunned the Intersection as much as possible, thus bringing about a reduction of traffic, which made automatic control almost unnecessary. Mr Nicholson said the present automatic lights in Christchurch did not comply with the standard code m several respects, and the necessary alterations would be undertaken as soon as possible. The code requires the signal face to be placed at the far left-hand corner of the intersection . and so shielded that it is visible only to the lane of traffic which it controls. Secondary signals for the control of pedestrian traffic must be placed so that they are visible to pedestrians at the tar side of the crossing, and again shielded so as not to be visible to approaching vehicular traffic. Another respect in which Christchurch signals fail to comply is in the colour sequence. The sequence should be green, amber, red, green—no amber preceding the green. The interpolation of the amber between the red and the green inevitably led to traffic “beating the pistol.” said Mr Nicholson.

In general, concluded Mr Nicholson, traffic authorities retorted to automatic control of intersections with great reluctance. It was recognised that manual control slowed down uncongested traffic, and that automatic control. because of its smaller degree of flexibility slowed down uncon nested traffic still more. However, after a certain point of congestion had been reached, the reverse was the case, and some form of control, manual or automatic, was absolutely necessary.