H.—4o

(i) Classification of Rural Roads.

Although only 53 per cent, of the total mileage of formed rural roads is shown to be classified this proportion includes in most cases the major roads in the district, and the classification of these owing to their key position, virtually restricts loads on the minor feeder roads also.

(ii) Classification of Main Highways (Rural Sections).

Less than 900 miles of the rural highway system now remain unclassified. A great part of this unclassified mileage is adjacent to the large centres of population where the road surfaces have been constructed to a standard sufficient to allow for heavy loads. This standard has been adopted to meet the demand in and adjacent to industrial areas. Elsewhere except for the weaker road surfaces to be found in North Auckland and the central portion of the North Island, a fairly uniform classification in Class Three now obtains throughout the rural main-highways system of the Dominion.

(iii) Classification of State Highways (Rural Sections).

„ on 6"Cl uar ter of the classified mileage of the State highways system remains as yet in Class .tour. This mileage is wholly in the extreme north and central portion of the North Island where the subgrades are weak and where good-quality road material is not plentiful. C. TRAFFIC CENSUS. Most of the results of the traffic census conducted by the Main Highways Board during 1937-38 over the whole of the main-highway system have been received, and an analysis is now being commenced on similar lines to that made in connection with the 1934-35 census. From a preliminary comparison between the motor traffic recorded at a representative number of points on the State highways system during the 1937-38 census and during 1934-35 an extraordinary increase in traffic volume is noted. Ihe average increase in the North Island amounts to nearly 80 per cent, over the 1934-35 figure. At a number of similar points on the South Island State highways system the increase was over 75 per cent. Some of the comparative traffic volumes ascertained at the two census periods are shown in the following table. It seems apparent from this preliminary investigation that the volume of traffic on the State highways system during this period of three years has increased to a much greater extent than on the average road. From the limited amount of data available the general increased use of the motor-vehicles on all roads during this period appears to be in the vicinity of 40 per cent.

11

Formed Roads. Class Three. Class Four. Class Five. T ° taI . ! Classification. T1 , Mfles. Mites. Miles. Mites. Mites. North Island .. .. 26,366 5,036 8,779 2,752 16 567 South Island .. .. 21,785 6,349 2,244 275 8'868 Totals •• •• 48,151 11,385 11,023 3,027 25,435

~ Highways. Three. Class Four. Glass Five. | XT ,, T , . Miles - Miles- Miles. Miles. Miles. North Island .. .. 6,483 3,094 3,065 87 6 246 South Island .. .. 5,245 4,436 137 32 4'605 Totals ■■ 11,728 7,530 3,202 119 KU$51~

~ Highways. Class Three. Class Four. | Class Five. | , T , , . Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. North Island .. .. 2,102 1,148 929 2 077 South Island .. .. 1,640 1,512 .. .. i' 512 Totals .. .. 3,742 2,660 929 .. 3;589 ~