"AS YOU WERE!"

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 109, 9 May 1923, Page 9

"AS YOU WERE!"

ACCESS TO WESTERN DISTRICTS

WANTED—A DEFINITE POLICY

PROBLEM FOR CITY COUNCIL.

The position in regard to the problem of improved access to Karori and Southern Kelbnm now that the purchase of the Kelburn cable tramway has been defeated by the ratepayers may be summed up in the words, "As you were." The council is no further forward in the matter of a definite decision than it was nearly three years ago after the Raroa road route was authorised. Having received the opinion of the ratepayers in no uncertain voice as to the undesirableness of acquiring the cable tramway, the City Council is now open to decide what is to bo done in regard to Raroa road and the other schemes that have been mapped out by the City Engineer indicating other possible routes. One of the matters of first importance that the new council will have to deal with, as pointed out by the Mayor after his re-election, will be the laying down of a policy in respect to the Raroa road tramway, which has been delayed for nearly three years, and if deferred for another two years will lapse by effiuxion of time; unless a portion of the money authorised is raised by 15th September, 1925, five years after the poll at which the loan was sanctioned by the ratepayers, the whole proposal will die. An indication was given at a meeting of the old council two months ago that perhaps a majority of the members were in favour of the Raroa road scheme being carried through as favoured by the ratepayers in September. 1920, and as the personnel of the council has not been greatly affectedi t>y_ the recent election, it is not thought likely that the attitude of the council as a body has undergone much change. The majority of the present councillors, indeed, who were supported at the poll by the Civic League, one ofthe principles of which was "the provision of better and quicker means of, access to suburbs," have pledged themselves t 0 see Karori and district assisted in the matter of transport facilities; not a few have also undertaken to use their influence towards securing further access to the elevated residential district south of Upland road. Still, there is a certani amount of opposition in the council to the Raroa road schema as it stands. THE BEST OUTLET. It seems to be fairly generally recognised that Raroa road, or a modification of that route, is the best course to be followed as aji outlet to and! from Karori in the interests of all parts of the city. A glance at the map shows the possibilities of that route as a means of serving the future requirements of the city and the outlying districts to the west. _ The great objection to the present line to Karori is the wide detour it makes at Molesworth street, and' the fact that passengers from the remote southern parts of the city are obliged to travel practically to the-farthest north of the city, through the congested business area, before they are fairly on 'the way to their destination. The economic waste created by this detour is most apparent at rush hours; a tram becomes filled at Courtenay place at 5 o'clock, and, without being able to pick up more passengers, has to pass from end to end of the business area before it is. actually en route, whereas via a I shorter and. more direct route to the south of the business area there would be Ho such -waste of time and mileage, and the main city route would be freed of unnecessary tram traffic. The Aro street route would enter the city at a spot from which passengers could be readily distributed to all suburbs. From the foot of Aro street immediate connec- ■ tion could be made either to Brooklyn or to the city;. a short extension of line would render it possible to connect with the eastern side of the city either by way of Vivian street or another route; the proposed connection of the Wallace street line with the Newtown line, via John street, which is to be proceeded with as soon as the necessary Order-in-Council is obtained, would enable passengers to reach the southern districts without making a detour around Courtenay place. Furthermore, such a line would immediately serve the coming business and industrial centre of Wellington, .as well as some iof the most important ecclesiastical and scholastic institutions; it would lead directly to the proposed new Anglican and Catholic Cathedrals near the Basin Reserv*, and in the same direction would serve the Wellington Boys' and Girls' Colleges, and the new Technical College, as well as the Buckle street Barracks, where young men assemble in the evenings for military training. To the south it would provide short access from Karori to the Zoo, the beaches, and the sports reserves, most of which lie south of the Basin Reserv*.

The council's engineers consider that no other main route is possible, in view of the peculiar topography of the land lying between the city and Karori, that would so advantageously serve all parts of the city, as well as provide a convenient means of access to ihe western suburbs from all points of the city. DEFINITE POLICY REQUIRED. Although argument is held! to b« bo strongly in favour of a route via Aro street, differences of opinion, exist as to what course the tram route should take in ascends ing the slopes towards the Karori tunnel. The loan schedule specifically states "via Willis street, Aro street, and Raroa road," and in order to vary that course the council would be obliged to appeal^ to the ratepayers again. ■ This is the point upon which the council is required to. come to an early decision, I otherwise there is a grave danger of the previous authority being lost. So far all that has been done by the council is to have.plans prepared indicating alternative routes to the western districts, one of which proposed a variation from Raroa | road, in which the tram lines would be laid -up Norway street and connect with the present Karori line by means of a tunnel. This could only be done, however, on special authority from the ratepayers. The suggestion that it was intended to allow the Raroa road scheme to lapse was recently denied by the committee set up to report upon the acquisition of the Kelburn tram, which stated clearly that there was no thought of abandoning that scheme.

Another point of policy that the council will have to determine at the same time—for one affects the other—is whether another means of access should be provided to Kel'burn independent of the present Kelburn tram. In its recent report upon the acquisition of that undertaking the sub-committee of the council expressed the opinion that it was imperative that a route from a point near the intersection of Manners and Willis streets should be determined, and kid down as soon as possible. Two possible routes via cable tram and electric tram. have been indicated by the City Engineer, but there is Eaid to be a cleavage of opinion amongst resi: dlents of tho dislrict that would be served as to whether it is desirable to have a service involving a change from

one mode of travelling to another.' The view has also been expressed that such a scheme, if put to a poll, would share the same fate as the recent proposal for the purchase of the cable tramway undertaking. In regard to the extension to Northland from the Karori tunnel, which was also authorised in 1920, it has foeen pointed out that that work could be proceeded with quite independent of the decision of the council upon the actual route to be followed via Aro street, as it will connect with the new line in the vicinity of the tunnel whichever course the main track takes.

These are the points upon which the city engineers are looking for an early lead from the council, and the policy to be adopted by the council depends largely upon the constitution of the new Tramways Committee. The important point is that if further delay takes place the scheme already sanctioned may go by the board, and the districts concerned may" be no nearer their objective than they were three years ago.