CITY TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12424, 19 April 1926, Page 7

CITY TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION CONGESTION OF TRAMCARS AT LAMBTON STATION SINGLE LOOP LINES As the years go by the traffic problem in Wellington becomes more and more acute, and with the direction of traffic and the making of roads for motor and other vehicles is involved the question of parking places' for mo-tor-cars, lom'ies and trams. In the past two years the» parking places in the city have been extended to a considerable degree, yet the position is almost as acute as evert, and the cry is for more, and still more. The City Council itself is faced with considerable difficulty in finding parking places for cars which are required to cope with the rush hours, but one of the most awkward matters which confronts the Tramways Committee is the tramway terminus at Lambtoai station. In the course of a chatb with a “Times” representative a well-known engineer in Wellington made the suggestion of a single loop line from the end of Stoat street along the quay to 'Lambton station, where it wiauld turn round into Featherston street and through Stout street into Lambton quay again. The city by-laws provide against motor traffic entering the citj' via the tram terminus at Lambton station. It must go via Featherston stneet unless it lias business in the immediate vicinity. The trams, however, come from several suburbs, a few going through to Tliorndon, while others mtake Lambton the end of the journey, and make the cross-over for the retrnrn journey along the quay or pull in Mulgrave street. Sometimes, and it is not un usual, there are six, Severn and eight tramcars standing at the terminus waiting to shunt over to the in-going line, and as they do not always go out in the same order in which they come in the number of cars at •times forms a considerable obstruction in what- is a fairly narrow and congested thoroughfare. Certainly great care is required on the part of motor-drivers in

negotiating this portion of the road at these times, in oidler to avoid collision with trams crossing from the off to the near side, especially having regard to the amount of traffic which also converges on this spot from Featherston street and Customhouse quay. A SUGGESTION The gentleman menitioned, a qualified engineer and designer, submitted the following suggestion as a.practical way of easing the pressure at Lambton quay to a very considerable extent. The line from the end of Stout street to the station along Laombton quay to be one-way traffic oniy, putting in a semicircle line at the teiiminus to take the tram into Featherston street. Make a single line through Stout street, linking up Featherston street with Lambton quay, and run the inward traffic to Lambton quay via Stout street instead of returning by the narrow neck in front of the Government printing office. There would be no need to take up the other line between Government buildings and the Public Trust Office, as by putting crosis-over points about these spots this portion of the line could be used for packing tramcas-s not in use. This portion of Lambton quay is so wide that the parking of tramcars there would rot interfere with traffio nor institute any danger to either vehicular or passenger traffic. The number of trams leaving via Featheiston street at tho present time is so small that the diversion of the

Lambton quay traffic along that short section would hardly make any difference to the running via tho post office route. No figunea were quoted as to the possible cost of making the change required, but it docs not appear that the cost would be in any way out of proportion to the relief which would be given. If it is urged! that there is not sufficient room to mako the turning, the waiting shed and dispatch room aro the only buildings of a permanent character on the corner up to the printing office. A sharp turn of line already links up Mulgrave street with Featherston street, running across the Lambton quay Kne.