A SOLUTION

Shannon News, 10 August 1926, Page 3

A SOLUTION

t'N BERGllOUXI? G All AGE MELBQ ERNE’S PARKING WOIIRV An underground inunieipial s . cU ' to be constructed under the con rthe road surface of Queen street, Melbourne, is the solution of the present congestion in parking areas cl by two city architects,® Messrs R. B. Hamilton and V. U Klmgendei (says the “Herald ). The centre of this part of Queen Street, they point out, is not present for traffic ot any v > 1 is suital.de particularly tor tnc cany ing out of such a scheme. The roadway could Ire excavated in sections, walls of reinforced concrete put down, and the whole roofed ovu t 0 form a new roadway and a surface parking area. The work, which they suggest, should be undertaken by the city Council, is estimated to cost about £;U),000, which would he recouped easily by rents for parking space. . Ninety-six cars could 100 parked in this big subterranean garage. A charge of .1/3 a day a car for 300; days in the year would bring m £IBOO a year, or 0 per cent, return on the outlay.

In actual practice the revenue problem probably would work out at a great deal more, as many parking spaces would be occupied two or even thicc times a day.

The scheme provides for a ramp at either end, with a grade of one in six, the ramp at Flinders Street to serve as an entrance and that at Collins Street as an exit. . Cars would be parked on eithei side of this underground a rea, which would be divided by means of raised concrete kerbs into compartments of sufficient siz e to accommodate an ordinary car. There would be a main corridor 14ft wide down the centre of the area... Thus a car entering at Flindeis Street would go into its position, and on leaving would back into the. main corridor and go out in forward gear to Collins Street. The main road surface in Queen Street, above the centre of the underground area, would be set with raised kerbs for the parking' of cars above ground, as at present. These kerbs would eliminate ah possibility of congestion or damage. Between the kerbs, in alternate sections, would be set glass pavement lights to illuminate the area below I