Master Traffic Plan

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30064, 23 February 1963, Page 3

Master Traffic Plan

Sir,—l notice that the city engineer, Mr E. Somers, states that the Regional Planning Authority recommend* a motorway between Salisbury street and Fendalton bridge because it la the best solution from a traffic engineering and economic point of view. Surely this is too limited a point of view and one not far removed from the nineteenth century outlook. I was under the impression that over the last few decades town planners had become aware of the need to consider humanitarian, cultural and aesthetic values as well. —Yours, etc., (Mrs) VALERIE HEINZ. February 22, 1963.

Sir,—Aa an Interested citizen and motorist for the last 53 year*, I can readily agree when you state that Christchurch can do with a title vision or that a real lesson from the planning group’s study and examination* is that there 1* no easy solution of traffic problem*. But when you state that some encroachment on Hagley Park may be unavoidable I cannot agree. When the old pioneers Laid out Christchurch they had vision and provided this wonderful park right in the middle of the town. They also provided the four belt* capable of taking three lanes of traffic on each aide. What can be done with these wa* clearly shown when the overhead bridge was built at Blenheim road and the town inlet made at Moorhouse avenue and Lincoln road. If the corner at Hagley avenue and Carlton Mill road wa* made better and a new bridge built over the Avon at the end of Fitzgerald avenue and light* installed. It would greatly help the traffic problem.—Yours, etc., S. W. HICKMOTT. February 21, 1963.

Sir,—l have no doubt that if things are allowed to drift without over-all planning Mr Somers's predictions about Christchurch traffic in 1980 may come true. By the same token, if th* world situation is allowed to drift on it* present course, there will be a global nuclear war before 1980 which may upset traffic prediction* considerably. The fact remains that the sensible thing for New Zealand to do would be to halt further expansion of her three largest citie* and plan instead for, say, 10 cities of 250.000 in the foreseeable future instead of three monstrosities like Auckland. All this so-called “planning” is extremely parochial and near-aighted in more ways than one. That such “planning” sees the utilisation of Hagley Park for traffic as “the best solution, and the most economic one,” is not surprising.—Your*, etc.. MARK D. SADLER.

Sir.—Like "the planner*," Mr Somers weakly assumes that the central city traffic will be two-and-a-half time* greater by 1980, but why? Why not plan to thin down the central city congestion by sending the housewife outward* to do her shopping? How many London housewives buy their requirements hi Piccadilly or any other central Ixmdon street’ The answer is, of course, not onetenth of 1 per cent. The sensible solution might be some carefully planned retailing area*, associated with massive apoounts of off-etreet parking around the present urban fence line, and leave our park alone. War-time proved that safety and aconomy of men and material* lay in dispersal, not concentration. Could not the same arguments be applied in dealing with peace-time traffic? Thoughtful action by the outlying local bodies, with the co-operation of the planner*, would certainly minimtoe and conceivably solve the problem.—Yours, etc.. PRO BONO PUBLICO February 22, 1963.

Master Traffic Plan Sir.—Why a road tbraugi the perk when you have al reedy a road along Dean avenue and Harper avenui wading from Riccarton root to Bealey avenue? These tw< roads could be widened bj taking a portion of the par) for the full length of the tw< roads. This extra width which would be detemune< by traffic expert*, would b< adequate for yean ahead The point of the park when U meets the bridge and Pari terrace could be cut off ant the road at that end brough further south and the narrov part of the park on the nori) side of the road could tx widened and brought inu line with the south mde. Prob ably a new bridge would bav< to be built which should ta the full width of the road.— Your*. etc, REGION Al* February SI, 1963