GROWTH OF THE CITY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 75, 26 September 1922, Page 4

GROWTH OF THE CITY

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

TO IHB EDITOR.

Sir, —One of the reasons why we as citizens of the capital city do not boost Wellington is because we are still waiting for a town-planning scheme. We are the City of Hills—and very beautiful hills, and we who live on the tops of them would gladly boost our city to outsiders if we were not afraid of criticism of our lack of foresight. For instance, we were reminded just lately that Willis street has just taken 21 years to widen, and we know, apart from the cash expended in that undertaking, how many accidents have occurred through our narrow streets, yet are ..e to-day looking ahead even 21 years? We are to have a tram-track via Hunter and Victoria streets. Are we sure this is the best for the future, and will we require this line when we have the new railway station? Also, have we definitely decided the lay-out from the new station, which will include coupling the Ferry Wharf? We must in the near. future have the railways and the South Ferry Wharf coupled up to the tramways. In the very near future we must have quicker means of transit between boat and tram, and train and tram, and now, if over, is the time to'plan'ahead, not for 100,000, but at least 250,000 people, who will be Wellington's citizens. Electric trams will bring passengers from the Hutt "Valley; perhaps in less than five years we may have the Hutt line electrified, aud if the journey from the Hutt takes ten minutes the people from the Hutt at least would demand a quick, journey either by an electric tram or some vehicle which would have to. take a straighter line through the city than via Hunter and Victoria streets.. Townplanning must make provision to find the short cuts- and cut off the corners. At present we have apparently decided to take the long way round.. The Wallace street line is to be extended to John street. This will be a shorter cut, but why not bring the line down Taranaki street to the wharf, and then extend the Jervois quay lino to couple up. This would be one short cut from railway to Wellington South.

If we agree that all tram routes must not have dead ends, except in far distance suburbs, we must couple up the present ends of city lines. City lines, including Newtown and Lyall Bay, should be coupled by extending the Newtown line via the hill side through Melrose. At Melrose we have room for hundreds of houses close to the city proper. Are the civic authorities townplanning to girdle all our hills with good roads and tramways? has two dead ends of tramways close to it; the quicker provision is made to tap this revenue-producing district with a short length of line the less^the cost .will'be. What are the peopl* of Wellington South doing not to push or boost this, to them especially, a gold mine?

One wonders Why the city has gone to the country—i.e., Khandallah—when there are many hundreds of acres of land waiting for roads and .tramways close to the city; even within hearing distance of the town clock we ha.ye land waiting for the builder,- especially on. the western side. New lines over the hills would rapidly' become revenue producing, because of the short lines required and the already thickly populated districts through which the lints would run. We allow a private company to hold one of the links of the tramway system and pay dividends unfailingly to its shareholders. It has been suggested that the ,city might make a better .bargain if it allowed the Kelburn Tram Company to retain its line, till another line was built by the city, but again we have the shorter cut to contend with, and a. circular route could not compete with a straight line. The longer route,must lose money for a number of ye^rs if run in opposition to the quick cut. It would be better business to have both lines, and the. gains from the Kelburni Company's line would balance the losses on the new line via Aro street. In the near future Kelburn and Karori must, (have new lines, and the whole of the western side of the city should be linked up via the present cable system ; a line from. Aro street or via .The Terrace, and at the other end a line via Sydney street..---Behind Kelburn and at Northland and Karori lie many homes, but any town-planning must speedily make provision for quick transit, not only for those who are there now, but for the many thousands who will be there before a decade.

- At present we have the city divided against itself; apparently each district wanting the largest slice of the loan loaf. For instance, take Kelburn and Karori. These sections each want a different tram scheme to ho adopted, although it might be mentioned that in the case of the city undertaking any tramway financing, the loan is not » charge on. the ratepayers, as the tramways must be self-supporting. The townplanning view should be to have both schemes. We are already in the proud, position of having a good tram service; yet we must to-day plan ahead. Modern traffic problem, road or rail, demands wide streets and straight lines to the centre of the city. Exactly whore the centre of our own city k is rather hard to define, but traffic must be the thickest toward the railways and the shipping, with the city extending from Seatottn, Island Bay, Karori, and toward the Hutt Valley. Perhaps we will not be far out in sticking to the Post Office. Certainly •we can say more people enter the Post Office than any other building in the city.— l am, eta, PANORAMA. 26th September.'