TRAMWAY AND ROAD PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2274, 7 October 1914, Page 8

TRAMWAY AND ROAD PROBLEMS

BASIN RESERVE CUT AND CENTRAL STATION LAY-OUT. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Lukq) is calling a special Meeting of tho City Council for Friday at 4 p.m. to consider two important questions—extremely important from a town-planning point of view. The ono is to consider which' schemo of the two submitted for tho alteration of tho lay-out of the Basin Reserve, should be adopted by tho council, and tho second is tho consideration of the alteration of tho streets in connection with the erection of tho new Central Railway Station in Bunny Street. In connection with the Basin Reserve, it seems that, according to the City Engineer '(Mr. W. H. Morton) some alteration is necessary, as it is highly desirable that there should be an easement of the tram-track at the corner of Kent Terrace and Buckle Street. This, according to Mr. Morton, is one of the most dangerous points in the whole system, because there is a very sharp turn of a double track in a narrow, street at a point where very frequently there is a congestion in the traffic. Ono plan is to widen the road all. round tho eastern half of the Reserve, and set back the fence 14ft. from the sidewalk, which area shall form a plantation. This would give a chain-wido roadway in Buckle and Rugby Street, and .a . slightly wider thoroughfare in Dufferin street. The alternative scheme is for tho tramtrack to cut through tho eastern half of the Reserve, dividing the main playing'area from a children's playground. It is feared, however, that the cost of this very attractive scheme (£12,000) would bo too great a strain upon tho cit.y's finances at the present time. The schemo of street alteration in connection with the now Central Railway Station involves the continuation of Stout Street through the back of tho Government Building grounds to Featherston Street, the closing up of that portion of Whitmore Street between the Courthouse block and the ' Government Buildings, and possibly the widening of Bunny Street. Thesq alterations are proposed to be'made with a view of lay-ing-out quite a new sub-system of tramways, which will centralise at the station, with divergent lines radiating to the Quay via Bunny and Stout Streets, and to Customhouse Quay by way of Fe'atherston Street. It is anticipated that the lead given at Friday's meeting will facilitate the work of pushing on with these road and reserve improvements as soon as possible.