New-York tribune., 1896-05-24
IN THE CYCLING WORLD.
ADDITIONAL ASPHALT PAvEMENTs FOR
THIS CITY
MANY MILES TO BE LAID THIS sUMMER-siDE-
WALK RIDING-sPEEDING ON CITY STREETS
ROUTES TO THE FERRIEs-Ir is HARD
TO AGREE AROI'T SADDLES.

WALK R1pING-sPEEDING ON CITY STREETS
ROUTES TO THE FERRIEs-IT is HARD
TO AGREE ABOUT SADDLES.
The removal Of the Department OF Puohc
Works frora Chambers-st to the American Tract
Society Building IS to blame for delay In let
ting the contract for paving the east side OF 'he
Boulevard from Ninety-second TO One-huhuieu-
and-eixth-st. with asphalt. This Is worn
which is most earnestly desired by the cEciIhs
fraternity. as the congestion Of traffic on the
west drive here is extreme. The terms OF the
contract. which is to be let next Thursday, VIII
be such as to require the greatest possible dis
patch consistent with efficiency in carrying OUT
the Improvement The contract for repaNhs
First-ave.. from Twentieth to One-hundreoeantgn1 no
twenty ninth t., will have time llmit OF Low
days so that by the late fall this thoroughldre
will be of asphalt Stretches OF 1t VIII De nm
ished sooner. The award will also be maue 'hiS
week.
First-ave. will be of much use to cyclists
wishing to cross to Long Island on the Twenty
third. Thirty-fourth and Ninety-ninth st. ferries
When the sewer Is finished in West Twenty
second-st. asphalt will be laid there, and thus
give a smooth approach TO within a short dis
lance of the ferry to the Eastern District OF
Brooklyn The Long Island City and College
Point ferries are only short distance ,i,, IRON
blocks over rough streets to reach the boat Tor
College Point
OF the extra appropriation of 81 100000 avail
able this YEAR for new pavements, it was origi-
nallv intended to spend about one-fourth on
lower Eighth-ave. and Hudson-st to give a
smooth bicycle route all the way downtown. Inc
decision TO walt two years or more with TINS pe'-
terment gives Commissioner Coils a CONSIDER
able sum to spend elsewhere on smooth road
ways No plans have been adopted for this out
Law but Water Purveyor L. T. North. VINO Is IN
Immediate charge of the branch of the Depart
rnent of Public Works. is in favor OF spending
tho money in the tenement-hOuse districts
Asphalt is great sanitary advantage IN Suvh
neighborhoods that he believes 1t snould ne
placed there in preference to the streets lnhaot-
ed by the middle upper classes HIS ldea -
to devote this money to repaNlhg Win aspla,t .
the streets in the "Hells Kitchen region. apout
Fortieth-st and Eleventh-ave.: in Little ltdE'
on the east side Of Harlem. and similar locahues'
Mr. North is aware Of the need Of good ap-
proaches to the ferries. and has had 1t in nina
in planning for new asphalt pavements- Next
year there will again be an extra allowance OF
81 100000 for new paving and out OF thls 'he
Water Purveyor trusts to put asphalt in Cham
bers-st from Broadway to the Hudson River.
He is not inclined. however, to recommend that
material for Park Row for some time to come,
as the present pavement Of granite blocks Is in
excellent condition. smooth stretch, from
Chatham Square to the Postoffce, would be I'M
portant TO those taking the East Slde route
downtovn Forty fourt hist, from Sixth-ave. to
Eleventh, will be laid with asphalt this summer
and will thereafter be a serviceable approach 10
the Weehawken Ferry.
The obvious remedy for the overcrowding OF
the Boulevard with bicycle riders Is TO pave
more avenues with asphalt. When TINS was ialo
on Fifth-ave from Ninetieth-st. 10 One-huh-
,rad.and-tenth-st. A great number Of wheelmen
tVl1f flrp n
ave along the entire length of Central Park
were thus paved riders would flock to It, They
dislika IN he in a crowd, and would gladly leave
,be boulevard for some other convenient avenue
which had smooth pavement Inc carry s. ills
out Of the contracts for repaVlng parts oil r!Ist M
and Madison aves. will draw cyclists over 10 lhe
East side II all the avenues had paVements OF
asphalt the Boulevard would no longer Ihoilupo-
lie wheeling to the extent which II does now
7, ;s to he regretted that West End-ave. can
not have good cycling pavement. Parts at 'he
MINER and lower ends are thus equipped, but
there are interruptions Of granite at various
cross streets. The grade Is so steep IN places
that It would not be practicable to lay asphalt'
Put for this fact West End-ave. could be made
,oos+ agreeable to bicyclists The traffic is light
there there are no tracks and the hand-
some residences on either side form more Pita, P'
ant surroundings than the nondescrlpl puiIui'ieS
along the Boulevard
At the two public analrS helu III 'hiS N4'S ~
Gently under the auspices of the League Oh
American Wheelmen. Lawson n. fuIler was
nu=hed forward apparently as the chief spokes-
man for the wheeling interests OF the CITY, rah-
,rg extremely long speeches both times. There
,s M reason why he should be considered thus
ranresentative and 1t is important that people
,nds+stand that in testifying and pleading 10
save a "scorcher" from fine he was acting SOLE
1v as an individual. The League or American
wheelnen is absolutely committed to uphodlhs
The laws and ordinances. and especially thoSe
against "scorching." 1t is impossible 10 peheVe
+hat the rider who arrested by blcycIe
policeman was not going laser 1asier 'ha, dsnied that he
an hour although Mr.. Fuller denleu tlat ne
Was Eight. miles an hour is moderate pace
for most cyclists Probably nalf the pelSoIis n
who ride in this city go AT raster Pace .'o'ii
,hat nart of the time. Ten miles an hour Is an
ordinary rate Of speed for good rlaeI. anu
there are men who haoltualIy riuT 49, tra,n.
tnr for races may even be seen spinning along a'
fifteen miles an hour'
The truth is that the policemen do not make
errests save in extreme cases. one rider OF
long experience has noticed that II therc are
few neople around. and he rides erect perhaps
with only one hand grasping the handle odr he
ran go eleven or twelve miles an hour on 'iie
boulevard or Riverside Drive without attract
ing more than the passing notice OF the ponce.
II a man were to go al that speed when the roau
was crowded and were TO ride bent over IN
monkey fashion, he would be likely to near me
warning of some policeman. and perhaps would
be hauled off to the station. 1t Is far 10 pre-
eume that every person who is arrested 1or last
riding was going oO per cent i"0''i ' ~
ordinance permits.
The City Magistrates here and the Police Jus
t;eas a Rrooklyn still show the greatest lenency
IN nassing sentence on bicycle riders who violate
the law One young woman in this city cad IN
knickerbockers, when summoned to slacken her
.,eed nv q policeman merely laughed and chal-