Avenue’s trees still a problem

Press, 6 February 1986, Page 7

Avenue’s trees still a problem

Bealey Avenue’s trees may not escape a trim, in spite of a decision to try overhead signs and lights to improve drivers’ visibility rather than remove the trees. Some trees might have to be pruned so that motorists could see the overhead signs the Christchurch City Council intends to install. Photographs of intersections on the avenue, with the planned signs superimposed, were presented to councillors at yesterday’s works and

traffic committee, meeting. At least three signs would be obscured, and one hidden unless the trees were trimmed. The council’s traffic engineer, Mr Mike Gadd, said the signs could be resited, but some trees might still need pruning. The siting of the signs will be discussed by a council sub-committee. Communication problems, which plagued the council when plans to remove the trees to make way for right-turning

lanes were made known, continued yesterday. Cr Morgan Fahey complained that a sub-com-mittee created last year to deal with the signs had never met. “I am supposed to be on this sub-committee but the first I hear of details about the signs is at today’s committee meeting. I understood that the subcommittee would report back to the committee. The sub-committee hasn’t met yet,” he said. The City Engineer, Mr John Ince, said that the

only work which had been done in connection with the signs was the photographs, and some inquiries about equipment. This had been done in the last few days when staff had returned from holiday. It had been decided to report to the works and traffic committee. A report suggested that the extra traffic signals should be used along the entire avenue, rather than at parts of it. The suggested- signs would be cantilevered on

mounting poles on the median. Arrow directional signs across all lanes would require a gantry. Separate signs from those overhead might have to be placed at the start of a block to avoid last-minute lane changes by drivers. Cross-street names might also be needed. The report noted only one accident along the avenue during December. It was a moderate-injury accident involving a rightturning vehiicle. It occurred on a Sunday.