Fatality fear near new shop centre

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 7

Fatality fear near new shop centre

By

SUZANNE KEEN

Residents of two Upper Riccarton streets believe someone will be killed or seriously injured unless action is taken to relieve traffic congestion caused by the new Bush Inn Centre.

Mr John Evans said yesterday that the people living in Bowen Street and Fletcher Place felt their concerns had been “fobbed off” by the Waimairi District Council. He and another man organised a petition of 110 signatures from residents asking the council to take action to alleviate the traffic problem. The letter was accepted at a works, reserves and traffic committee meeting this week, but no direct action was decided on. The matter was left in the hands of council staff. Mr Evans, who has lived in the street for 30 years, said residents felt bitter that the council had spent a lot of money improving Hanrahan Street and on other road works

in preparation for the opening of the centre, but would not spend it on improving Bowen Street or Fletcher Place. Most of the residents of the two streets were elderly people who had had no warning of the increase in traffic that would be caused by shoppers using the centre and staff parking their cars along the streets. “It was turned from a residential area to a commercial area overnight. Bowen Street has 10 times as much traffic volume. The residents in the street are terribly nervous and they will not go out to shop.” Waimairi’s district engineer, Mr John Lamb, told councillors this week that traffic was likely to

reduce after the initial opening of the centre and it was important the council not have a knee-jerk reaction. Moves were being made to encourage staff not to park in the streets concerned. Mr Evans said that it would be a “great help” if staff could be made to move their cars, but he did not think the situation would cure itself. There was also the problem of shoppers travelling through the streets to get to the centre, rather than going around Church Corner.

The residents have suggested that the part of Bowen Street, between Brake Street and Waimairi road, be converted into a cul-de-sac.