-1948 VIOT!ORIA VEHICULAR TR-AFFIC CENSUS AN APPENDIX T() rfHE J_t\NNUAL REPORT OF THE ~r()\VN ANJ) (j()lJNTft\T PLANNING BOARD FOR THE PERIOD 1sT J[LY, 1~)46, TO 30TH J[~E, 1947 PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLik\IENT PURSUA};"T TO SECTION 4 (8) OF THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PL4.~""XING ACT 1944 [Appmtimate Oost of Rcpori.-Preparation-not given. Printing (700 copies) £170.]. ~11 6\nihortt!.! · J. }. GOURLEY, GOVERNMENT PRINTiR, MELBOIJRNE. No. 81 [2s.].-7876/48. Town and Country Planning Board. VEHICULAR TRAFFIC CENSUS. (This Report is the Appendix to the Second Annual Report of the Board.) During the year, the Board was asked to express its opinion on various metropolitan improvements, especially those relative to traffic. In the light of changes during the last twenty (20) years, the Board was reluctant to give an opinion, since the traffic system of a large city is of such magnitude and complexity that it is impossible by observation alone to gauge accurately its volume and direction of movement at numerous points simultaneously. It was considered essential to obtain a comprehensive survey of all traffic movements before proposals of a satisfactory nature for the removal of bottlenecks, the creation of new roads and bridges, and the improvenwnt of road facilities generally could be advanced. When asked for an opinion, therefore, as to where the next bridge over the River Yarra should be located, the Board felt that it could not make a satisfactory recommendation without having at its disposal the facts gleaned from a comprehensive traffic census of Melbourne and suburbs. Consequently, on tendering this advice, authority for the conduct of the traffic census, similar to that conducted in 1926, was received by the Board on 20th November, 1946. Due to the fact that most of the Councils were in recess, very little could be done until they resumed about the end of January. A Committee to conduct the census was then formed of representatives of the Victoria Police, Country Roads Board, Public Works Department, Melbourne City Council, Municipal Association of Vietoria, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, and members of the Board. The Chairman and Secretary then made personal visits to each of the twenty-two (22) municipalities in which checking points were to be established. Appointments with the Mayor, wherever possible, were made in order to place the matter before the Councils at the highest level and, thereby, ensure the greatest co-operation possible. The suburban census was conducted on Thursday, 6th March, between the hours of 6.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., and fresh counts were taken at half-hourly intervals. In all, some 500 men, including 60 members of the Victoria Police, were engaged in conducting the census at some 111 different intersections throughout the suburban area. At all but six (6) of these intersections, the census was conducted by means of visual counts by checkers stationed at selected points where the direction of traffic could best be observed. The information was recorded on specially designed sheets, a sample of which is reproduced. The count of each of the six (6) different junctions, namely, St. Kilda, Camberwell, Haymarket, lVIoonee Ponds, Elsternwick, and South Melbourne, was achieved by means of a system of coloured cards. A coloured card was used for each of the five or six streets comprising the intersection. As a vehicle approached the intersection, the driver was handed a card on which the type of vehicle and the half-hour of the day were marked ; the card was collected in the street by which the vehicle left the intersection. The necessity for this type of check will be realized when it is pointed out that, at the junction of six streets (e.g., Haymarket Junction), there are 30 different directions of traffic to record. Even at an ordinary intersection of two cross street, there are twelve (12) directions of traific to record. A sample of the type of card used is also reproduced. At each of these six (6) junctions, it was necessary to have members of the Victoria Police Force on duty in order to control the traffic and slow down, but not stop, vehicles as they passed the checking points. Before the census, newspaper and radio publicity was given so that drivers would be aware of census requirements. 4 The city census was conducted on Thursday, 13th March, when the same hours and counting periods as used in the suburban census were observed. Some 230 men, including 120 members of the Victoria Police, were engaged on this day when a card system. was used entirely. AB a vehicle approached any one of the thirty-four (34) entrances to the city, the driver was caused to slow down, but not stop, and accept a card on which the type of vehicle and the time of issue had been noted. Whilst in the city, he was asked to mark on the card the suburb from which his journey commenced, and the suburb in which the journey was to end. If he stopped for any length of time inside the city proper, he war; asked to indicate on a ;;;mall map the approximate places in which he parked. As the driver left the city, he handed in his completed card. The Board is pleased to record that, of about 06,000 cards given out, approximately 88,000 were colleeted. These figures do not include trams and buses operated by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board. The Country Roads Board performed a valuable service in conducting a seven (7) day census on the five (5) city bridges-Spencer-street, Queen's, Prince's, Morell, and Hoddle. As a result, the daily fluctuation in traffic crossing these important arteries was ascertained. The Victorian Railways agreed to undertake the tabulation and collation of all the statistics gleaned from the city census and from the card check conducted at the six (6) main junctions on the day of the suburban census. The information on the cards was coded at the offices of the Board, and operators in the statistical Accounting Section of the Victorian Railways transferred this information on to punched cards. The analysis of the information was then obtained by mechanical sorting and tabulation. The Board appreciates the ready assistance given by the staff of the Victorian Railways, particularly as it involved work at night,. Trams and buses operated by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board were not recorded during the census as the information desired was obtainable from the official time-tables. The Board wishes to record its appreciation of the manner in which the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board co-operated in compiling the lengthy and detailed statement asked of it. The Board also wishes to record its appreciation of the assistance rendered by the Councils of the municipalities concerned in the provision of at least half of the number of men required, and of the assistance, in the form of man-power, given by the various Government Departments, semi-government authorities such as Country Roads Board, Melbourne and }1etropolitan Board of \Vorks, Melbourne Harbour Trust, members of the architectural profession, and public spirited bodies such as the Vacuum Oil Company Pty. Ltd. Valuable assistance was rendered by the State Electricitv Commission in placing at the disposal of the Board two fully-staffed mobile canteens," which toured the checking points and served refreshments to the men on duty. The census of Melbourne and suburbs was conducted with a view to obtaining the following information:- Suburban Traffic.-The volume, classification, direction, and time of travel of all wheeled traffic across all the most important intersections and bridges. City Traffic.-The origin and destination of all kinds of wheeled traffic passing through the city business area, together with details of- (a) the time it crossed the points of entry and exit, the time it remained in the city and the places where parking space was needed most; (b) the volume and classification of such traffic ; (c) the direction of its travel to and from and through the city business area. SUBURBAN CENSUS. The suburban section embraced 111 points at which 1,077 different directions of traffic were recorded. On completing the dissection and tabulation of the records obtained, it was found that 88:3 825 vehicles, including 47,924 trams and tramway buses, had crossed the interseeti~ns and bridges where counts had been taken during the twelve hours from 6.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. In 1926, there were 373,416 vehicles recorded at 87 checking poi1its when 766 different directions of traffic were noted. SUBURBAN TRAFFIC SUKVEY CA.N\6E R.WlLL JUNCTION CR.APH I C t>.. L DIAGR. OF TR..AF~IC CHtc~· 12. H •LJR. S (c-. -?O A.'o\ E.-.30PM) 6'~/V , o' C 'r l'oH7 ':c ,-·:e oF Veh ,.::!es ---=-~ _,...._.~bo TOWN AND COUNTR.Y " LANNING BOARD SUBUI\BAN TftAfflC SURVEY E LSTtllNWICK JUNCTION ~:I: .... GllAPHICAL DIAGilAM OF TR.AFFIC CHECK I-CI) IZ. HOUilS (6-30AM. 6-JOPM. ) 6._ March \947. 0 Scale of Vehicles :c ~ E£0 I ;!00 ...~0 N TOWN AND COUNTR.Y PLANNING B OAR.D SUBUflBAN TRAFF\C SUR.VE't' HAY MA ltK[T J UNCTlON GR.APHICAL DIAGR.AM OF TR.AFFIC CHECK. IZ HOUR..S (6-30A.M. 6 - 30I'M.) 6 *' Morch 19 47 S c o l e of Ve h•cl e 5 A l:il!Oo JOO OOilo TUWN AND COUNfR.Y PLANNING BOAilD ..... 6• §;SUBURBAN TRAFFIC SURVEY < ~ MOONEE. rONDS JUNCTION GR.APH\CAL DIAGRAM OF TR.AFF\C CH ECK lt HOUR..S ( 6-30 AM 6-30 PM.) 6"' March 194 7 Scale of Veh1cles A l:'::o$0 I .Joo 1 -.==aol,o N DEAN s~ TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD SUBU~BAN TRAFFIC SURVEY c~ ST.