CITY PROBLEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 57, 7 March 1936, Page 11

CITY PROBLEMS.

TARKING NIGHTMARE'

QUEEN STREET TRAFFIC.

BUSINESS MEN'S VIEWS.

With traffic moving faster and faster and mechanically-propelled vehic es ( creasing rapidly each year, the traffic problem of Auckland, especially as relates to Queen Street, is becoming a ■ nightmare to city authorities. What is the solution? This conundrum has placed before many business Queen Street, and, while opinions vary as far as details of control are cerned, there is a consensus P ]ioukl that both trams and motor■ ca shouH remain, but that sane regu . f be devised *>r the proper regulation 0 parking and full use of the -that "I have heard many P e °P* e s t 0 f the tramcars should be taken out ot Queen Street," said the ig not large retail establishment. their the view of those who have all their capital invested in the city. matter of fact, we tried it onc ® ockin(r Christmas Eve, and it had a effect on trade. With transport ties diverted to other routes Q ue( ; n was minus the usual volume of Christ mas Eve trade, and the experiment was not repeated, but the shops had to pay the piper. As far as motor ca.s are concerned, they, too, are a ne adjunct to business. The , lp „ ves parks his car on Queen Street and leaves it there all day is a selfish fellow and should be brought before the Court and lined the maximum amount. B shopper who comes to town to make a purchase or purchases should not be harassed in any -way. He should be encouraged by wise and toleran y Shifting the Centre. Another business man who has had a great deal of overseas experienced recent years said that if Auckland wanted to get rid of Queen Street as the chief business thoroughfare the best thing to do-would be to prohibit teams,

from running below Wellesley Street and prohibit parking. Then there would be a business scatter, and shopkeepers would bci falling over themselves to secure sites in some other street which would become another main hub of the shopping wheel. "Don't run away with the idea that Queen Street is indispensable as a shopping area, he said. "I have Known the shopping centres in other cities to shift, and that will happen in Auckland if motorists are harassed to any greater extent than is the case to-day. We must be tolerant as a city." . , The suggestion was thrown out from one direction that Queen Street footpaths should be narrowed to give more road room. This idea is_ not viewed with favour, however, as it is pointed out that Auckland would be in the same position as Wellington, and there are those who think the limited width of Wellington footpaths, at least in Willis and Manners Street, a disgrace to the Capital City. In order to get along one has to take to the road on numerous occasions, said the head of a large business concern. "We do not want that sort of thing m Auckland. If one RteDoed off the footpath here to pass a cnowd more than likely that person would speedily find himself in hospital after being knocked down by a fastmoving vehicle." One-way Traffic. There have been arguments by the civic authorities in the past as to which war the traffic should flow in one-way traffic streets leading into and out of Queen Street. Svvanson Street is a ?ase in point. Traffic is allowed down steep and narrow way into Queen Street but there are many Queen Street Sailers who are of the view that it nM be better if Swanson Street were nutlet of Queen Street instead of an He?t t points out that with a " i the present policy .some at r«Tof the congestion would be removed w allowing Swanson Street to take y o v instead of adding to traffic jamE ' V t in the main thoroughfare. m n% nf the greatest hardships to the i. • f who parks outside any shop or m °Mr' lS rr in Queen Street is to-find on building in j tl t ther motorists re ' 8 o closely in. front and ; have parked, , g ujmble to get out [ behind lul " ' There are struggles of , of the wedge- in the busy hours, I 25-s£%k argument

for compulsory angle parking in the street —a system that has been successfully operated in Newmarket for some time. It is suggested by one authority that outside every large department store, where the road width permits, spaces should be marked out in white lines in which motorists would be permitted to place their cars for parking for a limited period. "If a driver cannot place his car in the right position when pulling up, or back it out successfully, it is a sign that he is not a competent driver, and he or she should be fined or the license suspended, as far as Queen Street is concerned, until a proficiency certificate can be obtained from the city traffic department. What is needed is competence, and I would go as far as to say that many motorists have tickets to-day that would be taken from them if they were to undergo a strict examination under the city's traffic department. Sixpence a Day. "While I believe in allowing parking to be carried on under proper regulation in Queen Street I am of the view that a good deal of the congestion would be relieved if the old railway station site were converted into a parking area and a charge of 6d a day made. I feel sure that the revenue would amount to fully £100 a week and be an asset to the city." This was the view expressed by the manager of a large departmental store. He pointed out that at the present time at the lower end of the city | all the new streets formed through I the old railway station site were lit- | tered up with cars throughout the day I a nd it was difficult for a commercial i vehicle to get through with its load. • "And nothing is being paid," he added. ! "Why cannot the City Council see that here is a revenue producing department at hand and take full advantage of its powers in this regard?" "Pfionle with motor cars are able, to go wherever they please to do their shopping," said another executive of a large business concern. "The city or borough that does its best to encourage and °not harass the motorist - will speedily become the most prospeious trading centre. Xo local authority should be so short-sighted as to drive I trade away from its ratepayers by harsh or unreasonable by-laws because that is tantamount to building up another district at the expense of the one that lacks vision.