KARORI ROAD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 304, 19 September 1919, Page 9

KARORI ROAD

RESIDENTS PETITION THE MAYOR.'

• The Mowing, letter has been forwarded to the Mnyur by Mr. S. Clarke Johnson, chairman of a residents meeting hold recently— » . . '.'Eefemng to tho views and wishes, or the residents of Northland, and • especi-ally-of thoso living on Karon lload; as expressed to you by a representative deputation on 'September 10, I now beg on their behalf to submit a special and earnest request that when the council is doing the work of widening the road above the Botanical Gardens byv setting back tho kerb and adjusting: the footpath to its proper width, they will at he. same' time deal effectively with the curbed part of tho road extending down to tho point at which the asphalt iootpath at present ends. Not only is the road narrow and dangerous throughout this serpentine length, but the pathway is totally inadequate for pedestrian traffic, being'at some places barely wide enough for'two to walk abreast ieoplc passing have to step out into the roadway. Moreover, the road .has but one footpath along its whole length, and it is the more necessary thereiore-indeed practically 'ihiperative-that the pedestrian traffic be effectively provided foi. X)i course all are aware of-the natuial beauty of the read oh the Gardens eide, but it is obvious' that this must to some extent give way to.necessity. And it is futhcr submitted that nay setting back of the present fence and some of the shrubbery to effect tho widening, required, con : ;,bfi.,done.WKhqut seriously, impairing luindiwork-in faci, a careful combination of design and judicious planting of .a few trees and iirufas along tho altered patantaneiit would soon make,this part of the road more beautiful than it now is. Ilia residents liave for many.years toleraLed the inconvenience reierred to n the ■hopa'that an improvment. _w;onlil be made; but nothing has been done. «cept the compulsory setting back ot th-iences on the upper portion ot tho road, in preparation for widening there. , "If is with great satiarnctioji we learn that the work just reierred to is to be done almost immediately. .It will pro a of much .wantage aii.Ke in. nppeanmu and utility. But whilst the residents appreciate and thank the council tor this partial benefit, they aro very strongly of the opinion that the whole strea-a of the road should with now making bne complete jol) qt it, and .-the} petition accordingly, emphasising once more the serious inconvenience and danger of the narrow road nud iootpatli along the curves'- already specially comP '"fhere ai-e various matters in the neighbourhood which the inhabitants would like attended to if practidiblej .but hey leave these in. abeyance with the ob ec . of concentrating attention and efloit upon the more urgent improvements at present asked for.. 1 thereiorc beg to : request most earnestly that the council will act as desired and promptly. "It may be added, very pertinently 1 think, that the marked increase in suburban traffic of all kinds, and the very largo numbers of people passing up and down Karori Hoad in vehicles and afoot, .for recreation, visits to the. cemetery, and so' forth, make this main artem thoroughfare, one of the most important in Wellington. Hence its indenniL' and ueneral betterment, in appearance would have much more than a mere local significance It would be a blessing to the immunity, and I trust that you and your council will take this decidedly farcer aspect into consideration, and regard -it as an additional and weighty reason for carrying out tho proposal. •