CITY PARKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1936, Page 16

CITY PARKING.

OBJECTIONS RAISED. QUEEN ST. RESTRICTIONS. THE "MODERN PEDESTRIAN." "The modern pedestrian is the person "who has left a motor ear or other vehicle to walk across the street to trade," according to Mr. J. H. Kinnear, a member of the council of the Automobile Association (Auckland), who, in an interview, urges that the introduction of ten-mimate parking in Queen Street and Karangahape Road is unreasonable —and, in effect, prohibitive. It will result, he said, in a heavy loss to business people in those two streets. Ever since the city was controlled hv a local authority provision had been made for the accommodation of vehicles in the streets. The city that did the most to encourage the use of motor vehicles in its streets would prove the best trading centre, he said, and urged that no council should be so shortsighted as to drive away trade from its own district to build up another. It was impossible for a person to leave his car and return to it again after transacting his business in the short period of ten minutes. ¥or this reason the Automobile Association had given as its considered opinion that ten minutes' parking actually meant prohibition of parking.

Suggestions Made. "No article bought at favourable prices in the city can be considered a bargain if the cost of a fine or the time wasted at Court is taken into consideration," said Mr. Kinnear, "and it would be a better business proposition to trade elsewhere. The large shops and warehouses in our city pay 50 per cent of the rates collected, and were built to serve a contented motoring public, and they should now be allowed to enjoy the trade which was always theirs." Mr. Kinnear added the following suggestions: — "The extra foot made available to the paths through the removal of verandah posts, should be added to road width. The pedestrians do not want it and motorists could do with it. "Give encouragement in shop design to have island windows so that people could walk in and look round, instead of standing outside looking in. Every person inside relieves congestion outside. "Do away with all chalk marks on the roadway, visiting motorists will not understand them. n

"Make all vehicles, trams and motors, halt at every intersection in' Queen Street and Karangahape Road, to drop and pick up passengers there only. The intersections •will then become the correct crossing for pedestrians. Any blind man could find an intersection vjith his white cane, but he could never manage a chalk mark, and. safety zones would never be needed. „

"Have additional traffic officials on duty at crossings during the congested period. They should not be used to make a profitable department for any official to show on his balance-sheet."' 1