COUNCIL MAY PLAN THE WIDENING OF COMMERCE STREET

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 64, 16 November 1949, Page 5

COUNCIL MAY PLAN THE WIDENING OF COMMERCE STREET

A suggestion that plans should now be prepared for the widening of Commerce Street to cope with the increased traffic was made by Cr A. D. O'Rourke, at the monthly meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council on Monday night. Even at tiie present time he thought the read too narrow to handle all traffic safely and if plans were prepared and the work done gradually it might be a way of avoiding future bottlenecks on the town’s main thoroughfare. The suggestion found support among other councillors and the whole question was referred to the finance committee for consideration and a report. Comerce Street would always be a main thoroughfare to the town and it was esential that it should be able to handle all traffic likely to use it, Cr O’Rourke said. The matter was an urgent one, as even at the present time the street was becoming increasingly dangerous be- ( cause of the amount of traffic. Expensive Scheme

The widening scheme would probably be expensive but the Council would have to take a- long term view and plan now, he continued. Although he was no expert on such matters he thought it might be possible to widen it to three feet on either side.

Cr O’Rourke said the problem might be helped if a cycle track were constructed from the end of the Strand across the present unformed road to the end of McAlister Strok

This would take many cycles o;'V Commerce Street.

While he agreed that something would have to be done Cr H. G. Warren said he thought the main danger with traffic on Commerce Street at present was speeding. If notices were erected and drivers made to slow down it would help to dc away with the danger now involved when using the road. That was part of the trouble, Cr O’Rourke agreed, but the street would have to be widened or else it would not be able to handle all the traffic in ten years time.