Finding an answer that will keep two way traffic and trees in Canterbury Terrace is yet to be solved. Going back out to public consultation is therefore delayed, hopefully though not for too much longer.
Two issues have been occupying MY thinking time since my last blog post about the possible electrical infrastructure we might see at Clarence Park Railway Station.
The first is what trees can we use to camouflage the DPTI structure. Yes I firmly believe keeping the trees is a priority. Without trees Canterbury & Parker Terraces will become a barren area that will take on an industrial look if the infrastructure at Emerson is repeated here. This will be a 180 degree turnaround on what the streets once were, just this time last year.
So what sort of trees. This I will leave to our Sustainable Officer Trevor Stein to investigate. All I can say is the two species previously offered in order to appease the electrical safety zones required by DPTI were deciduous. Unless the electrical infrastructure is to be less obtrusive than I am expecting the trees surely must be evergreen.
So when we are in a position to come back to the public for their thoughts on the options we will have to offer evergreens will be one option.
The other thing exercising my mind is understanding what might occur in Parker Terrace should angled parking be the answer to solve the conflict in Canterbury Terrace. In other words I have been feeling that this road might have to become one way in order to save Canterbury being one way.
Without preempting what our traffic engineers will advise I took a visit down to Aroha Terrace east where tram parking has been accommodated. This street (see the pictures above) from rial verge to fence is 200 mm wider than Parker Terrace (fence to fence).
It does take 2 way traffic but is one way for a section of the road (at the west end). I am presuming from this that we might be able to replicate this if we go all the way the rail corridor fence AND shorten the footpath width by a metre. To achieve this would be major work that has not been foreshadowed in our long term financial plan. It would include not only removing trees from the east side of Parker Terrace but relocating the power lines. Oooh! Now there’s an exercise.
We must of course await our traffic engineers advice before reacting. I am just putting pen to paper to let everyone know the answers aren’t simple.
By the way I am catching up with our Mayor today to give him some background to the challenges we are facing.