BY ROAD TO AVONDALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18694, 28 April 1924, Page 8

BY ROAD TO AVONDALE.

RACE TRAFFIC CONGESTED. INADEQUACY OF SERVICES. The effect of the strike on the race traffic to Avondale on Saturday was very marked. The attendance at the races was estimated at about 14.000, which was very little below that on the corresponding day of the last autumn meeting at Avondale. As a result the traffic on the roads was enormous. The bulk of the crowd travelled by tramcar to the Mount Albert terminus, from which point fleets of motor and horse-drawn vehicles carried passengers to the racecourse.' Everything on wheels seemed to have been broupht into commission for the occasion. Great as was the number of vehicles it was totallv inadequate to cope with the traffic. From an early hour in the forenoon a steady stream of "pedestrians flowed from the tram terminus to the racecourse along the footpath, while the roadway was filled with laden vehicles. In addition to the traffic from Mount Albert, motor-buses and lorries ran from Queen Street to the racecourse, some via Point Chevalier and others through Mount Albert district, while the number of private cars on the road was unusually large. Heavy rain during the afternoon impelled a good number of people to make an early departure from the races, but the scene after the last race on the road leading to Mount Albert was particularly animated. There was some congestion on the fairly stiff hilT leading from the racecourse, but the traffic was well controlled by the police. Again the vehicles were unable to carry the crowd, and many hundreds were obliged to walk to the tram terminus. A good service was maintained on the tramway's, but a large section of the crowd had a weary wait before being able to obtain seats in the cars.