Street closing debated

Press, 14 June 1980, Page 7

Street closing debated

A resident of Eveleyn Couzins Avenue has told the Planning Tribunal that he would not mind the inconvenience of the street’s being closed if this stopped speeding and accidents. Mr A. T. Bradbury said the short, curving street in Richmond “becomes a speedway on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. They love to burn up that S bend.” Every time it rained, cars skidded on the bend and sometimes left the road. Three of his letter boxes had been ruined by cars out of control.

“The traffic has been getting worse.” he said. The Christchurch City Council wants to close the

street at its River Road end, and then remove the North Avon Road intersection traffic barriers installed a few years ago to discourage heavy traffic from using it as a short-cut between southern and northern suburbs. The closed end, near Avebury Park and a youth hostel, would be landscaped. It would still allow pedestrian and bicycle access. Mr W. J. Wyber, a taxidriver, objected to the change. He said it would be “a public annoyance” and cut off a traditional traffic route. It would close vehicle access to the park and hostel from both ends of the street, and would make some taxi routes longer. Mr Wvber suggested that

judder bars, to slow traffic, be built across the street instead, with signs warning motorists they were there.

But Mr D. L. Busch, a council traffic engineer, said returns from questionnaires distributed to neighbourhood residents had indicated that only 11 per cent of them definitely opposed closing the street.

An alternative traffic route along classified streets existed. It might increase journey times by one to two minutes, and traffic should not become a nuisance on other quiet residential streets in the area, such as River Road.

Closing of Eveleyn Couzins Avenue was justified in the interests of traffic and public safety, be said.