HUTT ROAD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2673, 20 January 1916, Page 9

HUTT ROAD

1 MOTOR SPEED LIMITS IMPORTANT PROPOSALS Hie Hutt Road Board of Control met at the Town Hall yesterday, when there were present: Mr. J. I'. Luke, the Mayor of Wellington, in the chair; Mr. 11. Baldwin, the Mayor of Lower Hutt; Mr. J. W. M'Ewan, the Mayor of Petc.ne; Mr. C. C. Crump, the Mayor of Onslow; Mr. F. T. Moore, representing the four smaller boroughs; Mr. H. J. Monaghah, chairman of the Makara County Council; Mr. Lynch, chairman of the Hutt County Council; the City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton), and the Town Clerk of Wellington (Mr. J. 11. Palmer). In a report dealing with the proposed by-laws for the regulation of tne traffic on the Hntt Koad, the engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) recommended that motor vehicles should be limited to the following speeds:—Vehicles capable of carrying up to five tons. 10 miles per hour; up to 3 tons, 12 miles per liourj up to 2 tons, 15 miles per hour; motor delivery vans capable of carrying up to 1-j tons, 20 miles per hour; pleasure cars nnd motor cycles, 30 mile* per hour. An exception was proposed over a distance 'of 10 chains south from the l'etone railway crossing, ten chains opposite Ngahauranga railway station, and about 20 chains at Kaiwarra, where the 6peed of pleasure cars and motor cars, it was proposed, should be reduced to 15 miles per hour.

There were further recommendations that notices should be posted warning ow'ners of motor cars and cyclists that they must kqep off the asphalt footway, an d'that a barrior of posts should bo erectcd to prevent motor cars going on to ' the path.

Approval was generally expressed with the terms of the proposal, with the oxception of that relating to tlio embargo placed on pu&ii bicycles using the footway. It was pointed out that the asphalt track was put down for the benefit of pedestrians and the owners of push bicycles.

It was eventually agreed that from the north end of tho railway station at Ngahauranga to the bridge, at Petono push bicycles be allowed on the footpath. i

The matter of drafting the by-laws was referred to the engineer, -who will report to a future meeting. The engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) reported that he had secured plans of the entire roadway and of all lands secured by the Railway Department for the construction of the road which was now vosted in the Hutt Road Board. He had appointed Mr. C. Winter as road foreman, with extra pay of Is. per day, and supplied him' with a.bicycle and instructed, him to visit evory part of the road daily.

The engineer also reported that he had considered] the question of constructing a permanent pavement over portion of the Hutt Road. He was of opinion that a concrete road, topdressed with >tar and sand, would provide the most economical and satisfactory method of dealing with the fast and heavy. motor car traffic. He estimated the cost of such work at £22,842. It might possibly bo urged, continued the engineer, that suoh an expenditure would bo purely in the interests of tlio owners of motor vehicles, and should not therefore be incurred. Ia reply he desired to point out that, the principal reason to bo advanced for tho construction of tho work was the lessening in tho cost of repairs and maintenance, as well as a more satisfactory road, with less dust arising from motor traffic. It 6eemed reasonable that some method should be adopted whereby the owners of motor vehicles using tho road should contribute the interest on the cost of constructing the proposed concrete roadway for the following reasons:—Firstly, increased comfort in driving; secondly, saving the cost of upkeep of cars and tires; thirdly, increased cost of road construction due to the requirements of motor vehicles.

The, proposals of the engineer were generally endorsed by the members of tne board. One member said he felt sure that motorists would not object to paying the interest and sinking fund, but the making of tli9 necessary financial arrangements would "'present some difficulty. '

The board after some discussion expressed themselves in agreement with the principle embodied in the engineer's proposals, and deferred consideration of ways and means and of the machinery required to give effect to the scheme, should they finally decide to adopt it.