TO MAKE TRACKS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7204, 16 September 1901, Page 3

TO MAKE TRACKS.

.-■-.. ' ■.— - — ■*+— — - THE SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL'S,. PROPOSALS. . RICCARTON ROAD BOARD WILL D0! THE WORK. • The Selwyn County Council has written to the Christchurch Domain Board, in accordance with a> motion passed at its laat : meeting,.. pointing out that inconvenience is caused! to cyciists by the state of the Riccarton Road from the Hospital corner to the Riccarton Hotel. The Council states that it would be a- great boon if the Board could see its way to form a cycle path inside the South Park, parallel with the Toad. The letter was read at a meeting of the Domain Board to-day. ' : Air J. Boag (chairman of the Riccarton Road Board) stated that his Board thought that the better plan would be, to make two tracks, one on each sida of the road. Two tracks, each four feet wide, would be- better than, one six feet wide, ond^ would not be more expensive. As the Riccarton Road was used by many people, ihe thought that something should be done. He had spoken on the subject to a member of the Selwyn, County • Council, who was in favour of the; project, and the speaker had said, " We; •feel that you are right." Though there was a great de-.il of talk about the Riccarton Road, and though it was bad times, it was- not always so. The trees kept the sun off it, and that (helped to keep at damp. Now, however, tie question, of improvement was in hand, and the road would be put in tip- top order. - Mr A. E. G. Rhodes asked if the members of the Domain Board would have any objection to the track "being formed inside the Park. The Chairman (Mr W. Jacques) said that the trees in the Park would ba disadvantageous, as they would cause a track made there to he damp and wet in the winter, weather. Mr B. P. Manlike expressed an opinion that the Riccarton Road Board' 3 suggestion was better than that made by the County Council. The letter was received. ' Mr Boag told a, " Star " reporter that the Riccarton Road Board was entirely in favour of naaiking two tracks, wMolii o<Hu-se had been siiggcsbEdi by the BoapcL's surveyor. This, Mr Boag saidi, would obviate collisions, which wWd be > inevitable if there was pjraly one track for people, to- ccme and goon. "Aboufb two years »go I was m Englaosd," he ccnitiiaiued, "and was much, struck with 'the miinbara of cyclists wto used) iha country road's. Thews people not only liad tracks made for them, but «t short distances "there were tea 'gaud coffee stalls along the route, where they couM obtain x-efresh-ments. This fact -has to b© recognised, tibsib Ohrisfcehurch is .going to b? a. .big' city. We roust do whr<ti> wo can for tflie petople who live in i'fcj and give .them facilities for reaching the country. Our idea is that when the road is regrad»(J, 'metalled and repaired, good tracks must be msidie for tihe cyc&sis, who consttatube on importainib section of the community, and who, being part of the public, tiro entitled) to consideration. I quite agree wMi 'Mr Wolfe, cf the County Council, in this respect."