MANCHESTER STREET TRAMLINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16416, 3 May 1921, Page 8

MANCHESTER STREET TRAMLINE.

SITTING OF COMMISSION. TRAMWAY BOARD’S CASE. The question whether trams should he allowed to run along Manchester Street from the Clock Tower to W orcester Street was further considered today at the Christchurch Magistrate 6 Court, before Mr S. E. M’Carthy, S.M., who sat as the Commission appointed for the purpose. The City Council had objected, and tendered its evidence yesterday. Air J J. Dougall appeared for the Tramway Board. Frank Thompson, general manager or the tramways, said that no objections wore raised to the proposal when the poll was taken in February, 1920. Notwithstanding what appeared to he ity (he minds of some motorists, the board was not up against them, as from time to time the board had spent large sums of monet for the purchase of corners, not for tho purpose of allowing the tramears to negotiate the corners, hut to facilitate motor-cars’ progress. He could instance Rhodes Street (Fendalton),. and in fact there was hardly a line in which the matter had ijot been attended to. As a rule the board had received the hearty co-operation of the local bodies concerned, with the exception, lie was sorrv to snv. of the Christchurch City Council. Witness recalled conferences and correspondence with the City Council. The North Beach route was tortuous and mostly a single track,, and great delays occurred on race days, as was instanced on Saturday last. There was no room for a double track. Where single tracks had to be worked it was a great advantage to have tho loops in sight of each other. When the North Reach lines were connected with the St Albans Park line it was proposed to bring the cars past the shelter, round the Cathedral on the east, and out again by a new curve by Broadway’s. Rv that arrangement the North Reach cars would not go round the Bank of New Zealand corner at all. The St Albans people) would thus have direct access to the sea. Witness instanced the difficulties oF the present lay-out. The use of Broadway’s curve would obviate the delays and the dangers. When the Mayor and Councillor Flesher said that the board’s proposals would make the Square a tram shunting station it showed that they had not given the matter proper consideration. The reverse must he the case. The more traffic facilities were given to the board the less inconvenience would there ho to vehicular traffic. With regard to Manchester Street, obviously it was best for trams to cross other traffic as little as possible. ___ The present arrangement with the New Brighton cars was quite in opposition to such an ideal lay-out. Tt was not advisable for waiting 71assengers for .Sumner and Brighton to be grouped together, as would happen if Councillor Flesh e-r’s suggestion were adopted of having the Brighton cars start from the post office. Such grouping would interfere with the traffic inspectors, and would result in considerable .iostling among the people waiting. To adopt Councillor Flesher’s suggestion concerning the DalJington traffic would result in great inconvenience to tho people of that district, and extra cost would ho considerable. Hie hoard already lost monev on the Dallington service. Tt would cost about *•200.000 to construct the track along OHmer’3 Road.

Continuing, Mr Thompson said that the. Manchester Street extension would '•educe the shunting in Cathedral Square. Tho New Brighton cars would come west along Worcester Street, stop by Dalgety’s. and shunt into the car shed, without blocking the eastern side of the Square at all. The Mayor had said that the New Brighton and Sumner cars blinded Cashel Street at Stewart Dawson’s corner, and suggested that the trams should pull up by tho convenience. The reply to that was that ill© New Brighton cars would not ho able to get hack to the route, and would require to pass Cashel Street at some speed, and would stop immediately opposite the incoming trams’ stop at Ashby IJergli’s. Witness explained the handling of race traffic, and said that were Manchester Street available, the race cars could get into position in the Square without going past the Bank corner. There were already 710 daily trips in Colombo Street, as against 406 in High Street. If on arrival in the Square the cars were not wanted, as often happened, they would not he allowed to stay in Colombo Street (as in Councillor Flesher’s scheme). Under the board’s proposals, the waiting care could be put in the depot quite easily. The Mayor and Councillor Flesher had suggested that the race traffic should be started at the end of Cashel Street, a ha|loon loop being constructed near Durham Street and Oxford Terrace. The corner would be acute, and the cars would find themselves in the river before negotiating it. It would mean a double track along Durham Street from Moorhouso Avenue, at a cost of £12,000, and the track would he used hut a few days only. It would mean a harvest for the taxis, because many people would not walk to the end of Cashel Street. The railways would get more passengers, and the board’s revenue would suffer severely. Oxford Terrace was a very narrow street, and one of the most awkward for traffic. Councillor Flesher did not appear to realise that. Manchester Street was the ideal north to south alternative route. The clearance in Manchester Street central would be four feet greater than it was in Manchester Street south. Tho advantages of the Manchester Street tramway extension would 'greatly outweigh tho disadvantages. Regarding the control of city traffic, Mr M’lntosh did his best, particularly on holidays and race days, but what was needed was one or more policemen regularly on traffic duty. The tramway traffic was regulated, but the motor traffic was uncontrolled. There was a great deal of unnecessary traffic through the Square 011 the part of the motorists. W. Dick, traffic supervisor, said that cars were occasionally held up in tire Square, by the “Press” office, but that was unavoidable. Within the space of six minutes, from 5.4 p.m. to 5.10 p.m., fifteen cars had to be dispatched from the Square car-house. The Manchester Street route would prevent this hold-up, as the cars could follow each other at close intervals. Under present conditions a late Linwood car blocked the others. { Proceeding. >