District scheme administration - the traffic engineer's role

The traffic engineer's role in development control is one aspect of his work which has received little or no attention in expositions on the profession, but it is one which is now assuming greater importance. With an increasing traffic problem in most urban areas, it is not just a question of applying traffic management or highway construction to try and solve the problems, but also one of trying to control the traffic problem at source. Land use - transportation planning seeks to provide longer term solutions in this regard, but it is the attention to detail through development control which can go a long way toward ensuring that particular traffic problems are not compounded and that policies are effectively implemented. The ordinances of the district scheme are formulated to give effect to Council policies though they cannot just be applied verbatim, particularly in relation to traffic, since the variables in respect of any development are too numerous for any one set of rules to be applicable to all cases. Consequently, the traffic engineer must apply his knowledge, experience and judgement through district scheme administration to ensure that new developments will be compatible with the Council's requirements for effective management of the public street system.