"NO CONGESTION."

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 268, 12 November 1930, Page 9

"NO CONGESTION."

TRAFFIC IN NEWTON.

ARCH HILL BRIDGE ADVOCATED.

DAY STREET OUTLET OPPOSED

An emphatic denial of the-suggestion that there is congestion of traffic in Karangahape Road was made iby a deputation of Karangahape Road business men who waited upon a combined committee of the town planning and works committees of the City Council this morning. There were three speakers, and all advocated that before an outlet from the city, either by way of Belgium Street or Day Street, was provided a bridge should be built across Arch Hill Gully. Mr. T. Bloodworth was chairman of the committee and the deputation was' introduced by Mr. M. J. Bennett. v

The chairman said that before the Views of the deputation were put forward he wanted to make it clear that the committee considering the Day Street 'scheme had had an alternative proposal placed before thorn, but the City Council had arrived at no decision. Mr. E. K. Kitchener said that the re-cently-published report, with the city engineer's estimates, had given Karangahape Koad business men great concern. They felt that at a time like the present such a sum as £25,000 or £27,000 should not be spent unless there was urgent need. If the Day Street scheme were put through businesses in Karangahape Koad would suffer. Outlets from the city were vital, but they had to be paid for, and the business men of Karangahape Koad considered there was no necessity whatever at this juncture for an outlet through either Day Street or Belgium Street. Except during threequarters of an hour in the evenings at the intersectibn of Pitt Street arid Karangahape Road there was no congestion in Newton. At peak-loading times it was the same the world over. Next to Queen Street most revenue was derived from- Karangahape Road, and before either the Day Street or the Belgium Street propbsal was decided upon the bridge sh6uld be erected across the Arch Hill gully: • " "Ratepayers Alarmed." Mr. F. L. Rendell said Karangahape Road was the geographical centre of the city. It Was one of the most important busin&ss roads, arid ho thought that town planning should be carried out with due regard to future prosperity and revenuo production. The ratepayers in Karangahape Road were seriously alarmed about the proposals being considered by the council. There was no congestion of traffic, and there would be none for many'years to come. There was a moderate amount of congestion at Grafton Bridge, and to relieve this the deputation contended that a bridge over the Arch Hill gully would bring relief. The traffic would then be carried from SymOnds Street along Karangahape Road, arid acrdss the bridge, to be distributed throughout the outlying western suburbs.

"A certain amount of congestion might still exist even though the bridge were- erected," said Mr. Rendell, "but what we want to do is to bring traffic into Karangahape Road, not out of it. If .the Arch Hill bridge were built—it is not a new,, scheme—it would touch a population of perhaps 30,000 or 40,000. Such a bridge should be designed- to carry trams, and would provide a circuitous route from the city, through Hobson Street, along Karangahape Road, and across the bridge to Mount Albert and outlying districts. There would also be a saving in time of from a quarter to half an hour."

"Bridfee More Important." Mr. G: Read said that the Karangahapo Road Businessmen's Association had been lying dormant because the council had been considering certain schemes. The members of the association considered' that the publication in the .Press of what was happening set people jumping, and values in certain portions of Karangahape Road had been reduced. The Belgium Street schemes, the association contended, was 25 years before its time, and the association opposed the Day Street scheme also, for the time being. The council should concentrate upon the west of Queen Street and develop Hobson Street, Pitt Street, Grey Avenue, and further out in the western area. His association strongly recommended the Arch Hill gully bridge, as not only more urgent, but important at the present time. Karangahape Road properties were decreasing in value and business was suffering, and the proposal to divert traffic through Day Street was a matter of serious concern. "The Day Street and Belgium Street schemes are absolutely mad, as compared with the Arch Hill gully bridge," concluded Mr. Read. The Mayor asked if it were not a fact that on Friday evenings it was only with the greatest difficulty one could find a place to park a car in Karangahape Road. Mr. Rendell: That doesn't affect the scheme. People arc not going down Day Street to park. Mr. Read: We are with you in your schemes if you first put the bridge over Arch Hill.

Suggested Sites. The Chairman: What site does the deputation suggest for the bridge? . Mi-. Read: At Commercial Road or Bond Street. We are not definite upon the position. The Chairman: The deputation says that before thinking of the Day Street outlet the bridge should be built at Arch Hill? Mr. Read: That is so. Mr. Murray: Does the deputation think that the present time warrants spending a big sum of money ?\ Mr. Read: I think the cry of congestion is very much overdone. There is only congestion at Customs Street and Queen Street corner at the busy hour, and if the tramways would allow passengers to get on their cars anywhere in Queen Street during the rush hour, and ride down without charge, people would not have to assemble in such large crowds at Customs Street.

' The chairman thanked the deputation for the views expressed. "We hpve not yet reached any decision regarding any jof the schemes, and we will give consideration to what you have placed before us," said Mr. Bloodworth.