The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-01
Traffic Problems.
By JOHN L.. GRIFFITHS.


The primary difficulty in handling
the enormous and constantly increas-
ing London traffic arises from the
manner of London's growth through
the centuries. 1t was not laid out as
Washington was, but developed in
this direction or that in response to
the immediate pressing need, and In
til recent times with little regard to
future requirements. The result is an
extremely picturesque city, but not
one altogether adapted to the trans
poration needs of its vast population:
1t is proposed now to make an eX-
tensive survey of the traffic necessi-
ties of the city, taking into considera-
ton its possible future expansion,
with the view of establishing; great
arterial traffic thoroughfares Tor the
purpose of relieving the congestion a.
the centre, and of furnishing ade-
Quate communication between the
centre and the outlying districts. To
show the need of such thoroughfares
it is only necessary to mention that
while there are 102 miles Of houle-
wards and n ninety-eight and a
half feet or more wide in Paris, Lon
don has only eight and one-half miles,
and while Paris has forty-two roads
radiating into the country, London,
with a population twice as great, has
only twenty, and ordinarily they are
narrower than the French roads.
The proportions of the London
traffic problem are shown by the fact
that 1894 new, buildings were
erected in the County of London (the
city embraces the entire county and
portions of other counties) from 1897
to 1908, and by the further fact that
in the scme period 148 miles Of new
streets were laid out.
1t is estimated that by the middle
of the present year the population OF
Greater London will number $780,
900 people, of whom 4,S73,OOO will
dwell within the county of London
proper, and 2,627,000 outside. Upon
a conservative estimate an annual ad-
dition of 100000 may be expected to
this population.
The experience Of London is SINH
lar to that Of all other great cities in
that, for many years past, the popu-
lation of the outer area has been in
creasing much more rapidly than In
the central districts, and the difficult
ties of the traffic situation have been
thereby seriously augmented. The
total number of passengers conveyed
in 1908 was 1,377,630,1S0, as against
972 ,6S2 in 1903. The total num-
Der of passengers carried in 1881 was
only 269,662,649.. These figures,
however, are not complete, for they
do not include the cab traffic, nor all
of the omnibus traffic, and neither do
they cover the great suburban trafhc
Of the trunk railways.
The average length Of the indiy1d-
ual journey is increasing as people
move farther out. The development
in the facilities of transportation
have not kept pace with the growth in
population, and the time is approach
ing, it is predicted, when the increase
of travel and the outward movement
of the population will each be checked
unless provision is made to keep such
facilities abreast with the growing de-
mand.
While there were 43,53S empty
houses and tenements in twenty-six
| of the twenty-eight metropolitan Dor
oughs' Of London in August last, there
has been a phenomenal increase in the
population-in the last decade espe"
| cially-of almost all of the outlying
| or suburban districts. Tramways' as
far as London is concerned, 1t Is be-
lieved, have practically reached their
limit of development, but the motor
omnibus is probably only in its in
fancy.-Daily Consular Reports.