Chapter 3 – Part four: A central metropolitan block
Present traffic difficulties: 295
We have estimated that out of a total outward peak hour flow of 3,000 vehicles, about one third is through traffic which has no need to be in the area.
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Fig. 168 Margaret Street. Typical loading problems for the dress trade. -
Fig. 169 Margaret Street. Waste material from the ‘rag trade’ is dumped on the pavement for collection.
Present traffic difficulties
295The main difficulties arise from:
- Bad layout, with many intersections and narrow streets.
- Multi-purpose use of streets by different types of moving traffic, and for parking and for loading. This condition is particularly bad in the clothing trade area just north of Oxford Street, where service vehicles lining both sides of streets and manoeuvring into position block the way for other vehicles.
- Inadequate parking facilities and inadequate arrangements for service vehicles. These cause much inconvenience for businesses in the area.
- Congestion by through traffic. We have estimated that out of a total outward peak hour flow of 3,000 vehicles, about one third is through traffic which has no need to be in the area.
In an attempt to improve the position, a one-way system was recently introduced together with parking meters and parking restrictions.
