CROWDED WILLIS STREET

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2383, 12 February 1915, Page 7

CROWDED WILLIS STREET

■ r. » .... ■ DIVERT THE TRAMS P ' .. f A' scheme. was put before the City (Council last night by Councillor J." God-" • iber ior. tie diversion of trains: out' of (JWillis' Street to relieve the : present congestion of traffic in' this narrow .tfiorongnfare. ' Councillor Godher moved: "That in "order to relieve the dan-, gerous congestion of traffio 'in'' Willis Street, the General Manager - of Tramways' be requested to take ' nto consideration the'desirability of diverting some of the Wm traffip, via Mercer, Victoria, Taranaki," or lower_ Cuba Street? to meet rush traffic a-nd other special cir- - cumstancee." In support of the motion, he urged <that the corner of jWillis Street and |Mainjera Street was one of the most I dangerous in the City, and the widanfing .of Mercer Street by ten feet-ra fwork that would be completed shortly— (■■would make it wide enough for tram (traffic. Councillor M'Kenzie seconded the mortion, saying that it was one which was Worthy pf consideration; Councillor Luckie said he was not isure that a'deviation via Mercer-Street would get over tho present difficulties, ■ ».for the. .congestion was worst of 1 all Mower down Willis Street, at the Bank of . New Zealand corner. He, believed the council should at once give attention to proposals for tho relief of congestion in certain streets in-.the. City. The Mayor said that visitors, to Weli'licgton. invariably informed -him' that tho tram service jin Wellington..was as good as could be found ainy where.. ' Councillor Hindmarsh said there wa# a -tendency to spend huge suinß of money in the centre of the City, and to . neglect the suburbs. These relief |lines, would be all very well in rush .hours, but for. all the rest of, the day 'they would be idle. He would much iratner see proposals considered for giving Vogeltown a tram service. For Tie present he hoped the motion .would not' be carried, because in his opinion 'the* City could not afford" the expense involved. ; The motion was carried.