The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1920. TRAMWAY RETROGRESSION

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 37, 12 February 1920, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1920. TRAMWAY RETROGRESSION

Ft the eeute that tecti ettUtemet, For the wrong that need* remittance. Ft the future <» the dUtance, Ant the eoetl that toe can <■'_

With the idea of improving the tram-1 way service in the heart of the city, the "Herald" makes a suggestion to-day which is retrogressive to the point of absurdity. "The most obvious economy" in the face of "services overwhelmed by an unmanageable traffic" is, to the "Herald" saye, "to turn the cars at the intersection of Wellesley Street and Queen Street, and thus save the double journey between Wellesley Street and the Post Office," which, it is contended, would give greater rapidity of dispatch, and so permit of the same number of cars making more trips to the suburbs. To be (fair to the "Herald," we must add that it admit* there may be objections to the scheme, and ends by suggesting that the tramway management report upon it, but the principle involved is so objectionable that this should not save the proposal from the severest criticism. To make Wellesley Street the terminus for "most services" would violate the most important principle of city traffic, that the trams should serve the principal street and connect with the ferries, the shipping, and the trains. Every city arranges its tram services on these lines, so that there is a continuous service from distant points through the heart of the town so as to land passengers as near as possible to wharves or railway stations. In Sydney, where the tram traffic is enormous, cars run down the main streets and stop at the waterfront, near the ferries and coastal and oceangoing shipping. Auckland is Sydney on a small scale, with this important difference, which strengthens our argument, that here the railway station is on the waterfront, and at the bottom of tho main street. The wholesale business in Auckland is also rapidly extending in this quarter. The "Herald" makes the extraordinary statement that "the only inconvenience placed upon the public would be the necessity of reaching Wellesley Street," which is "hardly worth serious consideration." Quite apart from the inconvenience to people arrving in the city by sea and train, many of them burdened with luggage, the "Herald" doe« not seem to consider the interests of the large traffic into the city, destined either for places near the waterfront, or for the over-water suburbs or the country. These people would either have to walk down Queen Street, or after getting out at Wellesley Street catch one of the care that the "Herald" would still have plying in Queen Street. The concession of such a connecting car suggests that the "Herald" may have some doubt as to the soundness of its scheme. Such a change of cars would involve great inconvenience to the travelling public, besides necessitating either an addition to the fare or the use of transfer tickets. There is no guarantee that the congestion would be any less if this foolish suggestion were adopted. The crowds that besiege v.ars at the bottom of Queen Street or at stopping places higher up would surge round cars at Wellesley Street. The fact that during the last ten days Queen Street has been cut out of the through services has Jiot prevented unseemly scrambles for seats ! at the terminus in Karangahape Road. Moreover, how much more terminal traffic could the Wellesley Street intersection stand? Writing from the nonexpert point of view, we should say the locality was unsuitable for a terminus on a large scale. For one thing, the massing and handling of cars there would very seriously block other traffic. Already some cars start from there for the suburbs during "rush" hours, and if this number can be increased with advantage well and good. But to make Wellesley Street a terminus throughout the day, or even for whole services during the rush hours, would be a step backward instead of forward. The additional inconvenience would be very great; there would 'be no real relief to the congestion; and the City Council would lose a good deal of the revenue it now collects in Queen Street fares. There is already in Hobson Street an alternative route to Queen Street, and perhaps this could 'be used to a greater extent. When the Anzac Avenue outlet is in use —and we understand the road will be ready in a few months, the concentration of traffic in Queen Street will be considerably reduced. But even at present it is insignificant compared with the tram traffic in George Street. Sydney, or Market Street, San Francisco. The congestion that has moved the "Herald" to such a wild flight of auggestion is only temporary, and it will be 'better to possess ourselves in patience than to resort to a remedy i that -would be worse than the disease.