LOCAL TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28822, 17 February 1959, Page 7

LOCAL TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

In spite of its flatness Christchurch has many traffic problems, and not the least are concerned with bicycles and parking. Practically the whole' of the population is within five miles of Cathedral square, leaving out Brighton and Sumner, and this means that the main highways must also serve for suburban traffic. These were a few of the points raised by Mr E. Somers. Christchurch City Engineer. -at the annual conference of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers last evening. Mr Somers, with four other prominent traffic engineers, spoke 'on the local applications of a paper on traffic engineering presented by Professor W. R. Blunden, professor of traffic engineering at the University of New South Wales. Most traffic tables said that Christchurch should have about 20,000 parking, places in the city, but the actual number was much lower, said Mr Somers. Christchurch had in fact about 9000 parking places, 4000 of which were, unrestricted. The other speakers were the Assistant-Chief Highways Engineer of the Ministry of Works (Mr A. C. Begg), representing theNational Roads Board; Mr A. J. Dickson. City Engineer, Auckland; Mr G. K. Armstrong. City Engineer, Dunedin, and Mr J. L. Frost, representing the City Engineer, Wellington.