PARKING AND TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 72, 22 September 1930, Page 8

PARKING AND TRAFFIC

Complaints have recently appeared in our correspondence columns from motorists of the annoyance to which they have been subjected by enforcement of bylaws controlling parking in the inner city area. We can appreciate the annoyance of a business man who is detained at a business appointment and, in consequence, finds himself peualised for exceeding the parking time limit. Without considering whether the bylaws on this point are harshly or reasonably interpreted, there is an /important question arises: How can the reasonable needs of the business community be allowed for without abolishing restrictions? At the outset it must be admitted that mere abolition of restrictions would not help the commercial car-user. If, with time limits on parking, he finds it difficult to place his car near the street in which he wishes to do business, he would have still greater difficulty if all-day parkers were allowed to encroach on the available space. He would escape fines, but he would have no parking space. Nor can a distinction be made between the users of vehicles according to class. One business j man may spend the greater j part of the day In his own office; another may make scores of calls at other business houses. There is not even a sharp line to be drawn between the private car and the business car. One motor may be used [nine-tenths of the time for business land a tenth for pleasure; another j may be essential for business onetenth of the time and a convenience | which could be dispensed with at ; other times.

Aa acceptable solution must be preceded by thorough study on the lines set out in the article on "Town Planning and the Motor Vehicle" (from the "Community Planning" journal), extracts from which we published on Saturday. The writer stated that surveys had shown that much of the traffic in busy streets could be diverted to other routes. In time, of course, congestion of traffic will compel this diversion without the aid of bylaws. The motorist who find's it takes him twice as long to drive through the centre of the city will take a by-pass route if he can do so. But the diversion may be aided, and should be, by sensible regulations. Parking bylaws, if they are reasonably framed, come under this heading. Not only must the main streets be kept fairly clear of stationary vehicles, but encroachment on the streets which may serve as by-pass routes must also be restricted. We see no way of bringing this about except by time limits on parking made after a thorough survey. The car which is to be left for a day or half a day must take the j outer circle, and the inner circles must be graded according to time. There will be inconvenience for someone. That is unavoidable, for either the city must spend millions on street widening or traffic must be held up by reduction of space by lines of stationary cars, or these stationary cars must be sent to streets where less space is required for moving traffic. The aim should be to lessen the inconvenience ,as much as possible. Regarded from this viewpoint, is it unreasonable that the man who leaves his car half a day should have to walk, or take a tram half a dozen blocks lo get it, rather than that the man who wants his car every halfhour should have to do the walking?