New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-07

S.rt Zoo, messengers and vehicles from 1t. The
prese1t report is upon the FIRST proposition ony'
II appears that the present average widn OF tae
ro.dwsy is forty feet nre inches, ana that oil the
v;dsu.,t nineteen feet seven and hsf inches on
90 So The Sidewalk, however, varie, at yari
ON, oo;nt,, at Rector street it is nearly twenty
,h,ssf,st at Tenth street only sixteen aud half
Tia average width Of the stooPs is seven aud half
feat And Of platforms five aud BALI The bydrauts
and Ian posts, awning posts and trees make a
further eCcroscbment so that the actual average Of
Sidewalk available for pedestrians is reduced to
about ten feet. After full discussion of these
points The Committee conclude to offer an ordI-
nance reducing all the sidewalks from the Battery
10 Vesey street TO sixteen feet on the west soe ana
eighteen fee. on the east side; Vesey to Caaa,
eiph!een ard half; Canal to Fourteenth, nineteen
feet; TO reduce all stoops, ratings aud projections
TO FIVE feet from the walls to remove MIGRANTS inso
side streets, and TO take away lamp ana awning
posts and trees altogether, leaving the lamp posts W
be set within the FIVE feet nearest the buildings,
the liSbt being suspended over the sidewalk in a
bracke,. Awnings attached to the buildings are to
be pe,mitied to the extent OF ten feet only. 1t is
Saso proposed to groove the pavements, to increase
the width of Broadway at the Bowling Green, and
10 Wild, Whitehall street aud State street.
These are the general features of this plan for
relieving Broadway. There are some police regu-
lsticns added which are only the reenactment OF
existing laws What grand improvement. viii be
secured by this plan We shall, if it be carfedout
have the street in chaotic condition for year. to
the great damage snd Inconvenience of the pubic.
A great many fine fronts must be hacked away, and
the damages audited at the close Of weary htga-
lion, in whieh the city always suffers. The Russ
pavement must BE- ripped up at least one third It's
width on each side in order to get the proper slope
TO the cutters; and know by experience that the
disturbance Of that pavement is almost equivalent
20 its ruiz. If this job is ever accomplished, we
shal have the street-lamps directly ove- our beads,
leaving the carriage way, where light is most
wanted, in comparative darkness; while the avn
ines will be not only useless as shades, bdE Will
seye as water sheds, pouring their torrents directly
upon the csnter Of tie sidewalks, and on the heads
Of the unfortunate pedestrians. Aud further, the
,pscs now protected by hydrants and lamp-posts
will then be occupied by the hubs and steps OF car
risges. which will be driven flush up to the curb,
scattering their mud and tar over all who veature
near the edge of the walk.
But If we submit to all these improvements,
what shall we gain t1sard the relief of Broad
way Absolutely Iothing. The addition OF less
than the width of carriage 10 the roadway is
no benefit, but rather gives an excuse for crowdmg
more vehicles into the street In fast, granting all
that this report proposes, We shall have no possible
means of relieving the street from the crush and the
delay Of stages and carts; we must still have Chat
ham and Nassau streets widened, and the eastern
travel sent down through Broad street; we must
have Greene and Church streets widened and e1.
tended 10 the Battery, or nolhiog is DONE With
the single exception of reducing The extra sidewalk
at Rector street, growing the pavement aud widen
ing at the Bowling Green nothing proposed in this
report can be done with profit to the city. We
hope the Common Council will carefully weigh the
matter before they decide upon action which is to
cost millions Of money and months of trouble and
annoyance without the hope of any benefit except
TO Mr.. Ebl1g and the men he may employ to make
the most OF the job.