TRAMS IN SQUARE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21708, 15 February 1936, Page 14

TRAMS IN SQUARE

RELAYING OF TRACKS

NO DEFINITE PLAN YET CONSIDERED

, No definite plan for the relaying of the tram lines’in Cathedral squall in an effort to avoid traffic congestion and to speed up traffic has been adopted by the Christchurch Tramway Board and in the opinion of the chairman of the board (the Rev. J. K. Archer), the whole question is one which will have to be given careful consideration from many angles and which in the meantime will probably have to wait. One of the most formidable obstacles would be the expense, and some understanding would have to be reached between the board and the Christchurch City Council. . Mr Archer gave this information to “The Press” yesterday when asked if he would enlarge upon a remark made recently by Cn T. Milliken, chairman of the by-laws and traffic committee of the City .Council, that he believed the board was considering a plan for the relaying of the tram tracks in the Square to assist in improving traffic -control., From time to time the board had had such plans before it, Mr Archer explained, but each time finance had had to be considered and the necessity for united action by the board and the council was realised* At present he seriously doubted whether either body was prepared to embark upon a definite scheme and for his part it seemed as if the plan would have to wait. The plan submitted to the City Council by the Christchurch Beautifying Association had. been forwarded also to the board and the board’s officers had given thought to suitable ways of relaying the lines. However, they had formulated no definite scheme. The probable expense of the proposal was such that Mr Archer doubted whether any comprehensive plan could be carried out for less than £2OOO. (

- Asked what aims would be kept in mind in the relaying of the lines, Mr Archer said that in the main the object would be to reduce the pressure from traffic passing through the Square, by so arranging the tracks as to make the passage of other vehicles easier. One-way traffic on tram lines, which had been provided for in the Beautifying Association’s plan, was also possible. Certain tracks would be used only by trams entering the .Square from the north, others for . trams entering from the south, and so on.

If only vehicular traffic were to be considered, the problem, would be notably less difficult, continued Mr Archer, but it was fully realised that pedestrians using the Square outnumbered motorists and cyclists and their welfare would have to receive attention. It would be easy enough to overcome the difficulty if there were no pedestrians in the Square; but the problem now was to speed up vehicular traffic without causing danger to pedestrians. 1 No finality had been reached on the question, and if any plan were to be presented for serious consideration, it would, first have to be thoroughly discussed in .committee by ffie board.