Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-02
BLOCKS NOT In LII
Wooden Pavements Thing Of
the Past in Toronto.
ASPHALT GAMING IN FAVOR
Wen Paved and Wei Kept Streets Ind
sauye Of Prosperity and Thrft-A
City Owns It's Street Railway.

Toronto, Canada, 10 al American
city that has for the past few years
been greatly improving the character
OF its streets. IL mas already passed
through the era of "sapless cedar
blocks" aud some four or i've years
agoasphait pavemens were introduced
aad ia commenting on the present sit
usti0n there. the Toronto Globe OF Sep
TENDER u, editorially sa.d;
The casual observer who IN the
course Of BIS iourneyings taxes some
intsres, IN municipal government In
most eases bases his opinion as 10 the
relative progress Of tho cities ne visits
on tho impression left upon him by
the principal streets. Even suen ex-
perts IA municipal affairs as Albert
SHAW and Prof. Wells are nos impressed
by fine buildings fronting upon we'll
paved and eleahly-kept streets.
To the Ordldafy visitor who
knows nothing about The a.
ledged leak IN the conduit, who
has not time 10 discover whether there
Is any pubic debt or high rate OF
taxation, tine progress OF such city as
Toronto - illustrated chiefly by the
street improvements. IL % Tor tnIsrea-
son, as we'll as because the WORK now
going on will result greatly in reducing
the cost of street cleaning, watering
and repairing. that the Appalling OF
the prncipa streets IS regarded as one
OF the greatest works ever undertaken
Oy the corporation.
when Il o remembered that the
first cedar block pavement IN Toronto
was aid some eleven years ago, and
that IN the ten years from 1851 TO 1871
the mileage of this class of roadway
increased from three and one-halt to
ll6 miles. 10 will be seen how compare
lively modern IL the system OF I'M
proved rOadways We possess The
cedar road has had It's day; II has been
tried and found useless for heavy traf-
nc, and OF only doubtful value tor the
paving OF residential streets. Asphalt
- replacing cedar blocks just as they
took the place of the mud roads OF
pioneer days. 10 is not much more
Than four years since the first short
strip OF asphalt Was laid IN the city,
and at the beginning of this year there
were close upon seven miles OF lt.
Asphait Generally Adopted.
"Since the present season opened
the effect of that clause IN the street
railway agreement requiring the city
10 lay down permanent pavements on
the track allowance OF all street car
routes To bs converted TO electricity
has been TO entirely transform the
principal streets. Already on King
and Yonge great tracks of Asphalt have
been LAID, while the central portion of
these streets have been asphalted from
curb 10 curb. On Queen street west
the center OF the street has been
asph alted and the merchants will I'M
dOubtedly make the pavement uniform
when the present cedar roadway wear,
out In MS report to the board of
works today the city engineer pro-
poses 20 asphalt the track allow
ance on Carlton and College
from Parliament to Bathurs,
street; on Avenue road from Bloor
north; on Queen street east from Yonge
To Parliament, anc on Dnndas street
from Queen TO Arthur. Tne policy OF
Mr.. Heating IN making these proposals
IL undoubtedly wise one. He con-
siders that Il the city at large puts q
tine pavement IN tho centre of these
streets the residents will TO the more
ready TO pay for a similar pavement
on the sides when the life OF the pres
ent cedar roadwzys expires. III, "a tie
anticipates, the sides OF these streets
are asphaltsd by the residents, three,
four or rive years hence Toronto will
have as tine = system of pavements as
any American city, with the exception
Of perhaps Washington. The object is
Co. TO-
before the citizens - \ goal TO be
reached BY steady effort.
asphsit In New York
II will be noticed from q close read
ing OF the above that the city owns the
street railway in Toronto aud gives the
individual property owners good ex-
ample BY paving between the rails aud
tracks with asphalt ahead Of the InI.
pr0vemsnt Of that portion of the street
between the tracks and the curb stone.
THIS would seem 70 set At rest the ar
gument that railway tracks upon which
electric cars are propelled cannot be
maintained where the ,,avement be-
tween the tracks IL asphalt. Wood
block. too. q given a black eye a. a
material for a modern pavement. This
tact. however, Is fully shown by an ex.
nn1tEatiNn OF -tAIstiCs from almost an
large city. Ia times past wood pave
ments were extensively used on streets
whore traffic was moderate or light.
but where traffic Was heavy granite or
stone paveHeuts were resorted to-
These sre too NOISY, however, 20 give
satisfaction. and durng the last few
yesrs asphalt has been rapidly gaming
IN popular favor. The following state
nent shows the number of miles Of
wooden pavement IN New York and the
miles OF other psvemepts "a we'll. The
asphalt pavement has al been placed
there within the past four or five years
This IL from the quarterly report of the
department. Of public works Il the cts
OF New York, ending December 81
lsnl
Thomas +. GilroY. commissionsr.
Stevenson Towis, consulting sngineel
or psvements.
The sGgresste lengths of the differ
srt kinds OF psvements IN the city OF
New York. exclusive of the twenty
thlrd and twenty-ffth wards, are.
Miles
stone. ..alv 2.