TRAFFIC CONTROL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 119, 4 May 1936, Page 6

TRAFFIC CONTROL

Congestion in Heretaunga Street HASTINGS PROBLEM The opinion that the time was not far distant when proper supervision of the vehicular traffic in Heretaunga street, with a view to minimising congestion, would become a very pressing one in Hastings was expressed to a reporter this morning by a leading business man. “I agree that it is no good crying over spilt milk, but I feel that we are going to be very sorry before many years have past that we did not avail ourselves of the opportunity allorded by the earthquake to put into effect the proposed widening of Heretaunga street,” he said. “It is an old story now, I know, but when I visualise Heretaunga street as I think it will be in a few years’ time I realise more vividly the magnitude of the mistake that was made in not seizing the golden opportunity that will never come again.” “On a Saturday night there must be several thousand cars in Hastings and the majority of them at some time or other during the day probably traverse Heretaunga street several times,” he said. “For several hours during the evening both sides of the street are filled with parked cars. Some are left there all evening, of course, contrary to the by-laws and at the risk of prosecution. But the fact remains that there is a continual movement of cars to and from the parking area and in the busy hours this means that traffic already on the move is slowed up to let cars either move on to a parking area, or move off one into the stream of traffic. “Pedestrian traffic in Hastings has not been educated to cross our streets in a methodical manner, ‘jay-walking’ being invariably indulged in, though as a matter of observation I doubt whether 25 per cent, of people ever cross the street more than once between King and Warren streets because of the trouble and danger involved. “Why hot have parking on one side of the road only?” he asked. “The cars could be parked on an angle and there would then be more room for the streams of traffic to move about in and less possibility of minor collision. This suggestion might meet the position for a few years, but I feel that eventually there will have to be no parking allowed at all in the main street.”

The informant expressed satisfaction with tho success resulting from the establishment of the bicycle stands in various busy localities of the shopping area, “We could do with a number more of them, for there are still too many bicycles left lying in the gutters and leaning against, and in many instances, ever the kerbing,” he said.