The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-26
REAL ESTATE NEWS.
Elaborate Plan for Providing
the City With an Asphalt
Driveway.

If James Hall and his Cicilian Asphalt
Company had kept out of the way of
the Street and Water Board and allow
ed it to carry out an asphalt plan 1t
had decided upon, Jersey City today
would have boosted of an uninterrupted
asphalt circuit from Hamilton Park tc
Van Worst Park, and the likelihood of an
asphalt driveway through Mercer street
to the foot of the Hill at least. The
psan was to pave all the streets sur.
rounding Hamilton Park and then ex-
tend the pavement through Eighth
street to Coles street.
Many people have wondered why Coles
street was selected to become the as.
phalted outlet of the northern section OF
the city. The reason was not because
the street is a main thoroughfare, but
because asphalt laid in streets where
there are car tracks does not give sat
isfaction.
DAMAGED BY TRUCKS.
Heavily loaded trucks following the car
tracks grind off the edge of the asphalt,
and in a very short time water works
down under the pavement, washes away
the dirt foundation, and ruts soon show
themselves. Beginning at Eighth street,
Henderson street has car tracks. Grove
street is equipped with single tracks
and turn-outs, which rendered it i'm
practicable to pave either of these
streets. Erie street also has car tracks,
and so has Jersey avenue. AS a result,
Coles street was the only one in which
there are no car tracks, and is at the
same time opened across the city. Con-
the outlet. 1t was then intended to
pave every street south of Coles, from
Eighth street to Montgomery, between
Henderson and Coles streets. The plan
was a splendid one, and would have
greatly improved the appearance of the
lower section of the city.
Having completed the down town cir
cult, the Hill people were to nave been
treated in a similarly liberal manner
1t was proposed to asphalt Summit and
Central avenues, from the Paterson Plank
Road, Paramount and Bergen venues
so thai there would be an asphalt road
from Hoboken leading down over the top
of the Hill, finally merging into the
New County Road, and at the same
time providing a magnificent drive,
which would permit drivers to go to
Bergen Point by way of the Boulevard,
Ocean or Garfield Ocean ave-
nue. was part of that paving scheme,
and it is now being repaved in an ex-
cellent manner by Contractor Henry
Byrne, and the remainder of the plan
may be carried into effect next year.
OGDEN AVENUE, TOO.
Ogden avenue was also h part of the
plan, n it is now being asphalted
between Bowers and Congress streets.
The Ogden avenue property owners at
first opposed the improvement and it was
believed that considerable opposition
would be met from property owners in
other localities. There is a peculiar OPP
position to asphalt which the Street
and Water Commissioners are at a
loss to account for. Asphalt is the COM
ing pavement in the city, however, and
Mayor Wanser proposes having as much
of it as possible laid. 1t is believed that
it's extensive use will benefit the drain
age system, and in many other ways
benefit the city and improve its appear
-ance.. >. -, -.-.--~---
If all goes well next year, Mercer street
will be opened to the Hill, and asphalt
ed from Henderson street to the Boule-
ward. Mayor Wanser and the Street
and Water Commissioners are determ-
ined to provide streets which will en-
courage persons who own horses and
AXE enjoyment in driving, to locate
here. 1t all takes time and money, but
the proper men are at the head of the
city government to give property owners
something for their money.