NEW ROUTES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12483, 20 April 1906, Page 5

NEW ROUTES.

ST. AL.BANS. The Works and Traffic Camniititce rcpoited that the oommitteo 'had very carefully considered the potations of ratepayers requesting that the route oi the St. AlbaiiH tramway should be altered. With respect to the- request that tho lino should bo laid along Colombo street, St. Albaius, to KnightptoArn., tho commit too recognised the force of some of ths> contentions raised by t'ho deputation, but did not tOvink them sufßcicnt to justify the α-bamidonmenit. of the route- along the avenue, even, if tihat route had not bean .included in tho lean proposals ■which were voted o-n. by tho ra-topayere. Tho route advocated by the Knightstown. deputation was one that had previously ixjceiyed the careful consideration of the committee, but owing to tho fact that funds were limited, it had to be eliminated from the proposals in favour of one, which, w;hile it served the scnithern 'portiioin of the Kmightetown district, also sei-ved a considerable area of the east portion of St. Albans ar.d the city. The committee, therefore, regretted thai it could not irecammond tihat the wishes of the Board's petifcionere bo acceded to. Tho request that the lino eEiould bo laid along Fiitzgerald or Bealcy st-reote, instead of Barbadocs street, al«-o received the careful consideration of the committee. Madras street was tho first street selected' by the committee, but owing to the condition of the ground, and claims made by those living east of that street, it recommended that Barbadces street should bi , the route. Tho committee could not we its way to recommend any further move eastward. Generally it was of the opinion thnt tho present route will best servo immediate requirements, and that it was one which could meet readily be used for future extensions. OPAWA ROUTE. Regarding the Opawa route, the committee reportod that tho representations of tho Opawa. petitioners had also received tho careful consideration of the committee. As was recognised by tho deputation from Opawa, tho committee could not recommend that the Wordsworth street route should bo abandoned, eveu if it thought such alteration desirable, but it considered tho question of providing a connecting lino via. Wilaon's road. \x finally resolved to recommend that & connection be made with the Opawa line at the corner of Shakespeare read and Wilsons road, thence by tho latter road to Stevens street, thenco to Lancastor street, joining the present Moorhouso avenue line by way cf Junction street, providing that sufficient funds wcro available after the lines already autnori«ad were completed. That route, if carried out. would take the place of the Lancaster Park loop which had already been authorised. The Sydenham Ratepayers Committee had stated that they nacl promises amounting to £160 towards the cost of thr> land required to open Wordsworth street to. Queen street, and that the City Council had offered to contribute £100, and t-6 channel and asphalt the proposed new street. With reference to the properties to be acquired, the committee recommended that iinlws they could be obtained by privato treaty at a sum, much nearer the Government, valuation than that acker by the owners, that steps bo taken under the Public Works Act to acquire them.

Mr Scott urged that Falsgrav<? street should bo inserted in place of Wilson's road as (ho route for the connecting lino, and that the lino from Falsgnavc street to Colombo road phonic! be electrified. Ho movrH in this direction.

After some discission it-was resolved that the clause of the renort referring to the Orvuva route -shoufd Ik? deleted, and that the quo-lion of another connection with Opawa via Falfigraye fitreet be referred to the Traffic Committee to consider.

The report, thus amended, was adopted. The Board then went into committee.