Transport Board appeals on road closing plans

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32775, 27 November 1971, Page 3

Transport Board appeals on road closing plans

Objections to the City Council’s plans to close streets affected by the northern and southern motorways, and to effects of the one-way street system, were put to the No. 2 Town and Country Planning Appeal Board yesterday.

The Christchurch Transport Board’s General Manager (Mr J. F. Fardell) said that the consequent changes would affect the efficiency of services and cause the board to suffer financially. Mr J. R. Woodward appeared for the board, with Mr A. Young for the City Council and Mr J. N. Matson for the Regional Planning Authority. The board comprised Messrs K. O. Stephens (chairman), R. R. Beaumont and R. J. Calvert. This was not the case of an individual, fearing, perhaps, the devaluation of his property, but an appeal by a board which provided transport for the city at large and had to rate to subsidise its service, said Mr Woodward. It was in the public interest for its service to be operated as economically as possible. The appeals were, in effect, on behalf of the ratepayer. Interference with routes by street stopping could not be remedied by simple devia-

tions, for the effects were widespread, he said.

Four points

The board was appealing on four particular points:—

The stopping of Victoria Street at Kilmore Street; The stopping of Chester Street East at the Northern Motorway; The stopping of Cashel Street East at the Northern Motorway; and The stopping of Collins Street between Macaulay Street and Jerrold Street on the Southern Motorway. “These proposals mean a complete review of bus routes,” said Mr Woodward. “In the case of Victoria Street, we are joined by the Salvation Army, which is concerned for vehicular access from Victoria Street to its citadel. "We have the city townplanning officer, like Horatius at the Victoria Street bridge, barring the resolute advance of the red chariots of the Transport Board, commanded by Centurion Fardell, and the cohorts of the Salvation Army in all the paraphernalia of banners and tambourines.” One-way system

Mr Fardell dealt first with the effects of the one-way street system. He said there was no doubt that any interference with established public transport routes was not in the public interest, particularly where public transport was the most efficient road user at peak times. The full load of one bus would need 40 cars, and two cars took up as much space as one bus. The board accepted and agreed with the proposal that Colombo Street should be the main bus access, but every effort should be made to retain branch routes on their present alignments. There were aspects of the one-way street system that would disturb bus routes, but this could be avoided by granting bus priorities, as was done overseas. The City Council had given the board a bus priority at Barbadoes StreetFerry Road for the Sumner service to continue on its present route to just west of Barbadoes Street, turning right to run parallel to Barbadoes Street, along the east side of the motorway, to St Asaph Street on the one-way system.

The council had also given bus priority at ■< Lichfield Street-Oxford Terrace, and had agreed that the one-way system would not be extended in Madras Street north of Bealey Avenue to Purchas Street until Purchas Street was reconstructed, as it now was unsuitable for buses. But, said Mr Fardell, the council had not agreed to remove the closing of Victoria Street and to give bus priority to use it. Nor had the council given a bus priority to enable city-bound buses to use Salisbury Street to Colombo Street, or for outbound buses to enter Victoria Street at Kilmore Street.

Dealing with road closing at the motorways, Mr Fardell said that the board was affected by the proposals to close Chester Street East. Cashel Street, Tuam Street and Ferry Road on the line of the northern motorway at Barbadoes Street.

The council had agreed to waive the closing of Worcester Street at Latimer Square, but the board was to the greatest extent effected by the proposals to close Cashel Street and Ferry Road, on two main trunk routes that, with Worcester Street, carried one-third of the passengers, or 6 million a year. He asked if the motorway could not be kept at ground level, with fly-overs for the important east-bound streets. The Collins Street closing would involve the board in either 10,000 or 14,000 extra miles a year, depending on the alternative route selected, neither of which would be acceptable from a passenger point of view, said Mr Fardell. It was said that the closing was made because of the traffic congestion likely at the point where the southern motorway off-ramp joined Collins Street; but a revision of the layout would enable the present route to be retained, and avoid two services running over the one route.

Mr Fardell said that if Armagh Street was to be closed, Chester Street East should be kept open, because the alternative routing of the service would be better for the public in Chester Street than in Gloucester Street. ‘Over-all plan’

Mr Young pointed out that ■the closings would be done under statutory provisions which would require the calling of objections. Three of the closings were part of the Regional Planning Authority’s master, transport plan, and it was for the board to say whether the authority’s scheme should be modified if the appeals succeeded. Victoria Street was being closed for two reasons, said Mr Young. It would be partly used by the civic centre, and Victoria Street was almost the odd man out with its diagonal run, causing problems by bringing a large amount of traffic to the city centre, and lowering the efficiency of the one-way streets. Cashel St mall Mr B. H. Williams, a City Council traffic engineer, said the closing of Cashel Street would not take place until the motorway ramp was built between 1981 and 1985. By then, Cashel Street would serve less of a traffic function because it would have no connection with the motorway and the western part of Cashel Street would become a pedestrian mall within five years.

There were two reasons why Victoria Street and

Chester Street West were to be closed. Victoria Street there was part of the civic centre complex. With the conversion of Salisbury and Kilmore Streets to one-way traffic, the Durham Street-! Kilmore Street intersection would, from the start, take traffic volumes at near its full capacity. “The southern motorway crosses the line of Collins Street just north of Jerrold Street. For many years, it will be possible for Collins Street to remain open and allow traffic to enter and leave from Simeon Street and the temporary connection to the motorway. Construction is expected to be completed to this point by 1976. ‘lnconvenience to some’ “In all these cases,” said Mr Williams, “I accept that inconveniences will result for possibly quite a large number of road users. Success of the long-term policy of attracting all commuter journeys to the network will give benefits that outweigh the inconveniences of minor route changes.” Mr G. W. Main, the Regional Planning Authority’s assistant regional traffic engineer. said that while the closing of Chester Street would have little effect on buses, the closing of Cashel Street would have a major effect, and the probability of its remaining open was so low that planning should proceed on the assumption of its closing. The board reserved its decision.