THE SQUARE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19683, 29 July 1929, Page 11

THE SQUARE.

TRAFFIC PROBLEM. CITY ARCHITECT'S SOLUTION. It is the opinion of Mr Boy LovellSmi tli, chairman of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, that it i.s more important that tho Square should remain a Cathedral square than a traffic cviiWe, particularly as the business centre is now somewhere about the High street triangle, and is steadily moving southeast. Mr Lovell Smith would provide that trams should run right through the Square, with stops between Hereford street and ihe Square, and between Gloucester street and the Square, and that Colombo street between Hereford street and Gloucester street should be closed to all other vehicular traffic. His scheme, 3lr Lovell Smith says, is not intended as a permanent one. but. is a cheap and effective method of finding out what good such stopping places would be. It could be tried for six months without any cost whatever. Motor-cars could enter the Square through Worcester street. In support of the proposal not to, nllow trams to stop in the Square, Mr Lovell Smith says that the present shelter stopping place is in a bad position, as passengers have to cross two or three traffic streams to get to and from the trains. The prohibition of all other vehicular traffic from entering the Square through Colombo street would have the desirable effect of diverting all through traffic which has no business in the Square into Durham and Manchester streets. He considers that it is needless to enlarge the bottle-neck, as this would encourage more traffic and increase the danger to pedestrians. "The Canterbury branch of the Architects' Institute have not yet discussed the Square lay-out as a whole," said Mr Lovell Smith, "but they have discussed the question of buildings in the Square, and, with a few exceptions, are strongly against the continuance of the tram shelter and the erection of any other buildings at all."