THE VALUE OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT; REPORT FROM LONDON; TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL LONDON

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INCLUDES ALL DIRECT, RESTRICTIVE, REGULATORY MEASURES ON THE MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES THEMSELVES, GIVEN THE EXISTING PHYSICAL PLANT; IT DOES NOT INCLUDE SUBSTANTIAL ALTERATIONS TO THE PHYSICAL PLANT SUCH AS BUILDING BRIDGES OR NEW ROADS, NOR DOES IT INCLUDE INDIRECT CONTROLS SUCH AS TAXATION. THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IS TO INCREASE THE TRAFFIC CAPACITY. LESSER AIMS INCLUDE IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY, TRAFFIC PREDICTABILITY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. AN OVERALL ANALYSIS OF LONDON FOR THE PERIOD 1960-1966 SHOWS THAT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT HAS NOT ACHIEVED ANY OF ITS AIMS INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE BEEN MEASURED. EVEN THOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE TO PICK INDIVIDUAL SPOTS WHERE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT HAS IMPROVED THE SITUATION LOCALLY, IT IS NECESSARY TO REEXAMINE THE TECHNIQUES AND AIMS OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, SO THAT IT CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR REALLY IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION. THE SECOND ITEM IS A SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION BY THE GREATER LONDON COUNCIL, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT (1) THE WHOLE WEIGHT OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE EVIDENCE RUNS COUNTER TO THE FIRST ITEM'S HYPOTHESIS AND (2) THERE HAVE BEEN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES EFFECTED WHICH HAD VERY LARGE LOCAL GAINS WHICH WERE QUITE MEASUREABLE. THE THIRD ITEM IS A REPLY TO THE REBUTTAL, AND SAYS THERE IS NO DENIAL OF THE SECOND POINT AT ALL, BUT THAT THE QUANTITATIVE EVIDENCE FOR THE OVERALL SITUATION STILL SUPPORTS THE POINT THAT THERE IS LITTLE IMPROVEMENT FOR THE AREA AS A WHOLE. /BPR/