New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-22
OF INTEREST TO WHEELMEN
GAPS IN THE GREENE-AVE. PAVEMENT
THAT SHOULD BE FILLED UP.
TWO FERRIES FROM BROOKLYN TO STATEN ISL


yet completed up and down town asphalt route.
for the reason that soon as Il was finished the
work OF tearing up Hanson Place began and 1t will
be some weeks apparently before the new pavement
Is laid there. In connection with that It is the In
tention to provide connections between Hanson
Place and Safest. and Hanson Place and Greene
ave. by laying strips Flatbush-ave and Full
ton-st The completion Of the by Gates and
Greene ayes is scarcely assured before another way
OF getting downtown OH asphalt H. almost provided.
People travelling along Greene-ave in the last week
or two have observed that prcparltio being
made for repaving considerable part Of the middle
section Of II Up to date II has an asphalt pave
mcht from rranklin-3vo. east TO Stuyvesan,.ave.
ana from Clinton,ave west to Ful;on,st. Within
son ayes VIII be paved with the same material, and
also the t,, two blocks between Grand-ave and st
VII, DC continuous asphalt on Greene-ave. except
and the thrce short blocks between St. James Place
a awa S gaIt n-a VII be Hnornnate II ,hese
avenre west Of franklin is being done under assess;
ment proceedings and in response 10 petitions signed
respects the blocks to be improved the city
VII sooner: sooner or later take hand in and complete
the law authorizing the Mayor and the Commits
sioner of City Works provide for the connection
The most interesting news OF the week is the
nouncement OF Mayor Wurster that he and Con-
troler Palmer have agreed TO proceed with the
a connection between the former and Leonard-st..
and also with the Improvement of Grand and WASH
ington ayes, TO connect with the brick pavement
Just laid in Westinghouse. The correspondent
aspnait strips along Nanderbilt-ive. will observe
that this solution Of the problem OF bicycle route
from the Hill 10 the Park is the then sug
gested, and that his proposed strips will be
needed.
There are two ferries from Brooklyn TO Staten
Island Some people are not aware Of this and
have been embarrassed in Consequence For in
stance, man who heard that there was ferry 10
Staten Island from Thirty-nnth-st was correctly
Informed but ne had difficult rde to get TO the
river at that point last Sunday. and then learned
that 1t would be nearly two hours before the boat
would go out. Naturally he was greatly Disguised.
and in order to make his ride in the future borough
of Richmond he compelled 10 take the Thirty
nnthyt. ferry to New,York and the regular boat
Thirty ninth-st the island to Tompkinsvile
ing between that point and Rosebank. which is not
lar from Fort Wadsworth To reach this ferry on
there are good roads close at hand on both shores
The Fngerboard Road on Staten Island is one of
nuisance of troley-cars which have nearly spoiled
some OF the fine Staten Island roads for riding pur-
poses.
Some Of the macadamized roads within the limits
of Brooklyn are rather narrow. and in consequence
have become badly rutted through the running of
character outside OF Brooklyn there are signs at
frequent intervals saying: Protect the road Don't
drive In one track" 1t cannot be doubted that
these injunctons have had q good effect. and as a
are free from bad ruts. II Is suggested that II
would be good thing to have similar signs dis
played on good roads within the city boundaries
and that the Common Council ought to pass an
ordnance requiring them TO be erected in the New
Utrecht region.
Bridge Superintendent Martin said one day last
week, In conversation with the writer that he be-
lieved n bicycle path ought to be provided on the
Bridge without reference 10 the question whether
the trolley roads over the structure. He did
not mean TO intimate that he had any doubt Of the
intention of the companies to go ahead with the
contracts which they had agreed to sign. but he
thinks the dangers of riding on the roadways are
so great at present that special provision should
be made for whcemen The Superintendent how
ever, Is scarcely an ardent advocate of relieving
wheelmen from tolls on the Bridge. and II a path
is built for them at large cost he would be in
cned 10 require them to help pay for II. President
sves in free bridge lust as far as noss b ' II ia
safe say that tolls for cyclists having been abol-
ished more than year ago, they Will never be re-
stored.
The good work of providing drinking fountains
In which the Park Department has shown liberal
disposition Is still continued. Fountains have re-
Gently been placed at the Wlink entrance to Pros
pect Park and also at Bensonhurst Park, at the
foot of Twerty-second-ave They cannot but prove
a decided convenience. as have those on the Ocean
Parkway and the Eastern Parkway. to say nothing
of those in Prospect Park itself which patron
tied daily by hundreds and thousands Of wheemen
and women
In the opinion OF some competent Observers It
is question whether anything ought to be done to
encourage wheelmen to flock to the Wnk en-
trance Said we-nformed city official. who is
In thorough sympathy with wheeling. in discussing
this point Yesterday Il see by the papers that the
convicts from the peniteniary are being employed
In building bicycle path across the East Side
Lands so as 10 make short cut from the Eastern
Parkway to the Wnk entrance. What Is the use
OF this, ! should like TO know? Before the paving
of Washington-avc there would have been some
sense In doing this, but no short cut Is needed now.
1t looks 10 me Ike an effort 10 make work for these
TO be one TO keep wheelmen away from the Wiilink
especially on Saturdays and Sundays that 1t IS no
comfort to pass that way. The wheelrncn should
Washnston aves from the Eastern term parkway and
then continue on the asphalt Of Flatbush-ave until
they reach Fort Hamon-ave. BY turning there
they Will quickly come on the path outside of the
Park on the south side. and thus reach the Cycle
Path. say. keep them away from the Wil.nk en-
trance as much as possible
The sign indicating that the West Drive in Pros
pect Park IS closed TO travel still displayed
yesterday ut the parting of the ways n few rods in
side OF the main entrance but wheelmen who
turned to the right instead OF the left found little
difficulty In making their way through the Park
although for short distance near the Fifeenth-st
entrance the roadway Is covered with gravel which
is being rolled and packed into place. on the big
hill and all the way 10 the COney Island entrance
the new surface Is completed. and the drive is In
fine condition. r. only there were some way Of
preventing the little streams formed by showers
from running down hill and making cutters. IL
could easily be kept good. But even in almost
level places such guttcrs are created the result
Of water distributed by sprnkllng carts and unless
repairs are constantly made tho drives quickly be-
come injured after the greatest pains have been
taken TO rosUrface them
Loud complaints from some people who
have recently been riding on the Jericho Turnpike
They assert that IN the eastern part ii Is particu-
larly bad owing 10 the large amount OF loose
sand which has accumulated on the surface. Work
has been going there the sides OF the
macadamized part OF the road. whore the grass has
been poughed up and the sods removed and In