Traffic: The Big Snarl Up

Traffic: The Big Snarl Up
Jersey Topic 1965

Where are the multi-storey car parks
What steps are being taken to fight the traffic chaos
Will we have parking meters soon
Who is taking the problem seriously

A topical point: it is said of St. Helier that the only way to find a parking space is to be born on it. Anyone who has known the frustration of driving in.o St Helier and attempting to park a car—legally or illegally—will know how true this is. But what is being done ? `Statistically, the problem is so frightening that one look at the figures is enough to make you push them in a drawer, lock it and forget all about them.

But the facts are these: car ownership by 1980 on present trends will be about 27,600 cars —an increase of 46 % on today's figure. And take a look at these figures. In the fifteen years from. 1948 to 1963 the number of commercial vehicles has risen by 23 %, public transport vehicles by 46 % and private cars by 182 %.

Car ownership today is less than three people per car, equivalent to the density of the United States and compared to 11 persons per car in the United Kingdom. Clearly Jersey in general and St. Helier, a town designed for the horse and trap, in particular have a vast problem of traffic and car parking to cope with.

The writing was on the wall in 1962 when the Island Development Plan was presented to the States. This stated categorically: "The Town, as the centre of the economic and social life of the Island is the focal point of almost all traffic movement. Probably half of the total 20,000 vehicles are based within the Town and the remainder are drawn as to a magnet into its narrow crowded streets. Congestion is acute, especially in and around the central shopping area . . . within the next decade or less, conditions will become intolerable".

A report presented to the States on October 13th last year, prepared by a traffic expert, Mr. J. D. W. Jeffrey, T.D., M.I.C.E., M. Inst.H.E., said: "It is obvious that if the streets are to be cleared of parked vehicles more off-street parking is vital . . . a figure of at least 3,000 spaces should be the target".

These words seem to be lost on the States who, whenever traffic is debated, bury their heads in the sand and try to ignore the problem.

Parking in St. Helier is the problem of the Constable of St. Helier. He and his Town Hall staff have been doing a Canute every year fully realising that they would eventually be swamped by traffic chaos. At the moment St. Helier has sixteen wardens. This is to be increased to 20 with an additional six on temporary for the summer. They will be operating throughout the day, in the evening, and on Sundays. Their brief? To keep traffic flowing. They will be equipped with radio controlled jeeps which can keep in constant touch with the Town Hall to race to trouble spots.

TOPIC is full of admiration for these efforts in easing the problem. But these are only temporary measures and will eventually be ineffective against the rising tide of car popula-tion. There is only one answer to easing the traffic and parking problem and that is the provision of multi-storey car parks in carefully sited positions.

Car parking comes under the Defence Committee, led by Senator Ralph Vibert. And no one could be more concerned about the problem than he is. His Committee presented a report to the House in September last year, which said : "It is obvious that further car parking space is required near the centre of town. The Committee has been awaiting a decision of the States in respect of the tunnel but now considers that the need is so urgent that car parking plans should proceed irrespective of this decision."

The report recommended that multi-storey car parks should be built at Snow Hill and the Cattle Market at a cost of £342,000. The Committee were told to go and interest private enterprise. This they have done and shortly they will be presenting their plans to the States for approval. Rightly Senator Vibert could not tell TOPIC what these plans were but he gave a good clue when, during Fort Regent debate, he said that private companies would only be interested in coming to Jersey if they could handle all the car parking sites in St. Helier.

It is to be hoped that when the matter comes before the States they will not delay what is a vital decision to wait for any more traffic reports or surveys. For one doesn't need an expert to see just what St. Helier will be like in five years time if the States continue to dither over this matter.

When traffic is next discussed those members of the States who do not think the problem is serious should take heed of the words of the Jeffrey report : . . I feel much of the traffic regulation in St. Helier has been ,dealt with very much on an ad hoc basic . . . traffic management is now a very important subject and in the U.K. it is the responsibility of the engineers working in close co-operation with the police. I am of the opinion that very careful consideration must be given as a matter of urgency to the reorganisation of the present system of traffic management on the lines of the modern methods in use in the U.K."

TOPIC concludes : Jersey motorists get their motoring very cheaply indeed. They must be prepared to pay to park their cars either in car parks or in the streets—for it is certain that parking meters must come to St. Helier if multi-storey car parks are built otherwise people will still park on the streets. The only alternative is a complete ban on all street parking. Whilst recognising that the provision of two multi-storey car parks will be a considerable improvement it will not be the answer to the traffic problem of the seventies. What is needed is a Traffic Engineering Department to plan for the future and make sure that we never get as far behind as we are now

1 Multi-storey car parks can help the problem of traffic chaos. They have been promised for a long time. Will we ever get them?

2 Car ownership in Jersey is as high as in the United States. By 1980 conditions will be chaotic unless there is proper planning.

  
3 Traffic wardens in their jeep set out to keep traffic moving in St. Helier.

4 The Snow Hill bus site—it has been proposed to turn this former bus station into a multi-storey car park.