THE "BOTTLENECK."

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19667, 10 July 1929, Page 10

THE "BOTTLENECK."

COPING WITH TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. SOME LOCAL VIEWS. "I feel sure that it will be nothing but a death-trap," said Mr W. Hayward yesterday concerning the proposal of the City Council to erect a temporary safety zone for pedestrians at the "bottle-neck," beside the Bank of New Zealand Corner.

As Mr Flesher had pointed out, said Mr Hayward, space available showed that there was no room for such a thing. This particular portion of the road was already regarded as being too narrow, so why make it more so by putting an island in the centre? He was sure that if those who voted for the scheme were to stand behind the trams for five minutes they would change their minds. "I do not agree with Mr Hayward,'' said Mr F. W. Johnston, an ex-presi-

lent of the Canterbury Automobile Aslociation, adding that if ''jaywalkers" lad the nerve to go to within six or line inches of a motor-car, people vonld bo much safer on an island even ,f it were only two feet wide. Concerning the proposal made by Mr 3. E. Jones at the meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce on Thursday night that the City Council should buy some land on the east side af the Bank of New Zealand and allow pedestrians to pass that way, Mr Johnston expressed surprise that a gentleman, who was one of the City's prominent land salesmen, should be so retrogressive in his ideas as to suggest sending the public around the Bank of New Zealand premises by a circuitous route. The proper thing to do, in his mind, was to throw open the whole of the present street to vehicular traffic and construct a subway beneath the bank. A colonnade was unnecessary and it would restrict the area of the premises. There would not be any need to pay much by way of compensation if such a scheme were adopted. The subway could be constructed in cement, which was impervious to water, and an automatic pump would ensure it 3 being kept dry. The fact that the present conveniences in Cathedral square were fourteen feet below the surface of the road proved that such a scheme as that which he had outlined would be a feasible one. ...

"The Council is to bo commended in its endeavour, to do something to deal with the position," said Mr F. W. Freeman, president of the Canterbury Automobre Association, "but it is difficult to conceive how it will be possible for pedestrians to stand on the proposed islands without danger to themselves. The Canterbury Automobile Association is in favour of safety islands for the public, but not on such a limited space as has been suggested. However, it is satisfactory to learn that if the scheme is not successful, it will not be adopted permanently."