Traffic Control

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30958, 14 January 1966, Page 8

Traffic Control

Sir, South-west Christchurch is a motorists’ ghetto, with no protected artery to the city. The safest routes, by Barrington or Selwyn streets to Hagley avenue, are still fraught with built-in hazards. Hagley avenue, marked for four lanes, has such a bad surface where the tram tracks were that few use the parkside lane. Those who are forced to, by traffic waiting to veer into St. Asaph street, find it obstructed by parked cars near the hospital corner. Beyond the traffic lights, lane markings are lost on that side, and there is chaos to the Antigua street bridge, where a bus shelter is so placed that buses can most effectively obstruct the view of a pedestrian crossing and cyclists leaving the bridge. This is surely a quarter-mile exhibit of stupid traffic control.—Yours, etc., VARIAN J. WILSON. January 9, 1966. [The City Council traffic superintendent (Mr J. F. Thomas) replies: “The matters to which your correspondent refers will be investigated, but as I have said in a previous reply his comments in general are not very specific, and to this end I invited him to call on me when we could fully discuss any ideas he may have. 1 again repeat this invitation, and assure the writer that any suggestions he may have which will assist! in accident prevention will be! readily accepted.”]