“Terrific run" with Games traffic

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33451, 5 February 1974, Page 14

“Terrific run" with Games traffic

I raffic control plans for the Commonwealth (James met all expectations—“We had a terrific run.” the Christchurch traffic superintendent (Mr A. Goldsmith) said yesterday.

(Elizabeth 11 Park, Mr Gold- 1 I smith said. There had been ■ only two routes that the public could use, and neither was really suited to carrying a large volume of traffic. New Brighton Road was] narrow and winding, and although the Wainoni RoadBower Avenue area was better, there was one diffi- ■ cult bend. Mairehau Road was also fairly narrow. Nevertheless at peak times ■ traffic officers had been able | to channel as many as five ■ lanes of traffic along Bower Avenue, and two lanes on other roads. WORST NIGHT The worst night had been the Tuesday evening, when heavy traffic leaving Queen ■ Elizabeth II Park at the end I of the afternoon conflicted with normal home-going com-' 'muter traffic. This had led to delays, but people had ’borne them well, j The basic Games traffic plan, developed by Chief Traffic Officer R. W. Fox, had proved excellent, Mr Gold- ■ smith said. The main change necessary was to move some pointsmen from other Games venues to Queen Elizabeth II Park. Traffic officers had man-! aged to clear the stadium car-I parks in about an hour each night, Mr Goldsmith said. “I (don’t think we could have ‘had a plan which would have done a better job.” VALUE OF PLANE Mr Goldsmith said he had been sceptical about the use of a traffic-control aircraft, but in fact it had proved a great help: “I would never try to run a big exercise again without an aircraft.” ! On the last day of the; ■Games the Ministry had the| 'help of a helicopter as well!

The co-operation that! traffic officers received from the public had been ' outstanding', he said. Residents, in particular, had made things much morel pleasant for the men by taking them cups of tea, and by inviting them into their houses to drink tea and watch the Games on television during their rest breaks. It was not easy to control traffic to and from Queen;

as a Cessna fixed-wing aircraft. At peak times, up to 200 traffic officers were involved in directing Games and Royal tour traffic, this figure including 78 officers sent from other centres. Mr Goldsmith said that the Gaines traffic, by itself, could ! have been handled by the! ’ local force—the complicating ! factor was the visit of the Royal Family, which involved . traffic officers in manning ! major junctions on routes ; followed by Royal cars on ! about 50 separate occasions. i CAR-PARKS FACTOR Asked why Queen Elizabeth II Park was more difficult for traffic control than Lancaster Park, where crowds were almost twice as big, Mr Goldsmith said that a big factor was 1 the absence of carparks at Lancaster Park.. i! Car-parks were convenientj for spectators, but they didi mean that traffic all headed; , for one or two points. At’ ! Lancaster Park, motorists' ■ could approach from four! ' directions—rather than just; ! two—and they parked onj , surrounding streets, so that' ! traffic was spread over a ’ wider area. Further. Lancaster Park; was close to the centre of I the city, and many patrons; '■walked, used cycles, or' ! I travelled by bus. , “Coping with 60,000 people ! at Lancaster Park would be> a piece of cake compared with half that number at Queen Elizabeth II Park,” I;Mr Goldsmith said. “And if ; the car-parks at Queen Eliza- , beth II Park had been twice i as big, then Heaven help us.” The Games car-parks held ! about 6000 cars on the busiest days. ■ i Controlling traffic at and II near the stadium for most I i future events would need no more than about 30 officers. “LUCKY” WEATHER Mr Goldsmith said it was lucky that the weather was dry during the Games. Many, ; traffic officers near Games !venues had been on duty for |up to 12 hours a day, and it would not have been possible to arrange shelter for them !;it it had arained.