New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-25
THE EIGHTH-AVE. PROBLEM.
QUESTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE AS
PHALT PAVEMENT ALONG THE PARK.
SHALL THE RAILROAD BE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE wIIEELwAY OR AT ONE sIDE?-PHo-
POSED WIDENING OF THE ROADWAY
SHALL THE r.
VIEWS OF ENGINEER NORTH.

THE wrEELwAY OR AT ONE sIDE7-PRo-
POSED WIDENING OF THE ROADWAY
VIEWS OF ENGINEER NORTH.
! 1t has already been told in The Tribune that 1t
is the purpose of the city authorities to carry the
asphalt pavement Eighth-ave northward 10
the Harlem River The intention is to do the WORK
| in connection with the changes which the Metro
! politan Traction Company expects TO make III inc
railroad In the avenue. but as these changes VIII
not be got under way till next year, the improve
| ment IN the pavement Will have 10 be postponeu
at least until the spring.
! When II decided to lay asphalt from Fifty
1 nnth-st. 20 Observation-Disclosures inth-st, how
! ever, all not smooth sailing, at least as re-
spects that part Of the avenue adjacent TO central
! Park. There Is real Eighth-ave. problem 10 De
solved here. and some Of the engineers OF the De-
| par;ment of Pubic Works have been puzzling their
heads and consuming large quantities Of gray mat
| ter In studying over 1t for number OF weeks *
Is problem that has a special interest for people
! living the West Side north of F'ifty-ninth-st,
and in sense ii may residents along
! Fifth-ave
! No one has given closer attention TO the ques-
ton than Edward p North, consulting engi-
neer of the Public Works Department both with
reference to the usefulness of the avenue as
route for travel and the safety Of people on foot,
especially women and children. III crossing II on
their way to and from the Park Eighth-ave.'
north of One Observation-Disclosures has a roadway
| sixty feet wide. II Is 00-foot street, with
! sidewalks twenty feet in width. Along the
! Park, however. the roadway is much narrower
on the west side of the avenue there Is a twenty
fve-foot sidewalk. and n walk Of that width was
originally laid out along the Park But few
years ago two feet were added TO the walk on that
side Hence. the whcelway Is reduced for two
miles and a half to forty-eight feet and fifteen feet
of this is occupied by the strectcar tracks. These
are placed some little distance from the easterly
side OF the avenue. although not in the middle OF
II. but the strip of road between the tracks and
the Park sidewalk is practically useless.
A TALK WITH E. p. NORTH
Mr. North was called on by representative
of The Tribune at his office in the Tract Society
Building. day or two ago. and asked for his views
as TO the best treatment for this part of the
avenue. In answer to a number of questions, the
| consulting engineer said:
THE problem Is not an easy one | admit and
have given considerable attention to it, II we take
things as they are. 1t is plain that If the tracks
placed anywhere else than in the middle Of the
roadway they ought to be put as close to the curb
on the Park side as possible Now take the case
OF children or tmid women undertaking to cross
the avenue from the Park In the first place they
would nave to look south to If a car was
coming from that direction; then north to look out
Tor car going downtown; then south again TO
avoid the of carriages bicycles and trucks
! likely to be going up the avenue. and then north
again to keep clear of those moving in the opposite
| direction. 1t needs no argument show that
there would be a great deal OF confusion in the
minds of many people. and the chances of manning
| or killing some would be great.
III the cars were run in the middle of the street
| people crossing on foot would have to look in only
two directions instead OF four and 1t seems TO me
mat the reasons for preerring that place for them
are too strong to be overcome. With this arrange
ment, the same conditions would exist that the
community is familiar with other avenues.
and the cars would be able to run at as high a
speed as might be desirable for the benefit of the
property-owners north of Fifty-ninth-st | do not
as great as can be permitted with safety, for the
value Of any mans house in the upper part of the
he can travel from it his place of business
ITO add to the safety of people crossing Eighth
ave. on loot. plan has been proposed by young
the assistant engineer in Charge Of that district
which impresses me fayorably. They propose to
pace the tracks in the middle of the avenue with
light stoIe curb about two inches high just out
side S OF on curb b may be seen around
would make a distinct dividing line between the
part OF the street occupied by the railroad and the
rest of the roadway. 1t would be broken at the
cross streetsf not at every one. at least at
to cross the carracks except at the crosswalks,
they may he called, and all vehicles would be com
PEELED to cross at those points. Thus cart dump
ing load of coal in the middle of a block on the
west side and wishing to return uptown, would be
! required downtown the first street
and then pass over TO the other side There would
Charge Of the cars Woud have to be oE the oo
out for pedestrians and vehicles only at the cross
iEgs.
a GREAT TRAFFIC THOROUGHFARE.
Now. there can be no doubt that this is bound
be one of the great traffic thoroughfares of the
city after the pavement is improved IL will be the
most convenient through route from the northern
line OF the city 70 Yonkers. because it will be the
freest from hills. In fact there is only hill to
speak of on this route between New York and Yon.
kers. going in either direction After crossing the
Spuyten Duyv Creek the natural course Will be
along Tcnth-ave to Dyckfnan-st.. then on the
| Speedway TO Bradhurst ave, and then through
One-hundred- and y-third-st. into Eighth-aye
wdened between Scventh-ave. and Macombs Dam
Road and should be widened far Eighth
ave. Bradhurst-ave also needs 10 be improved and
connected with the Speedway 1t may be said that
the Speedway will be reserved for light driving and
speeding but X will be too valuable course for
traffic to permit that, In my judgment.
The heaviest grade on this whole route from
Yonkers down would not exceed 2l2 per cent. while
there is a considerable grade on kingsbridge Road
and on the Boulevard on both sides of Manhattan
st. there is a per cent grade for considerable
distance.
North of Observation-Disclosures Eighth-ave
Is a lOO-foot street. with sidewalks twenty feet
wide That leaves a roadway OF sixty feet
Along the Park however. II is narrowed until the
roadway is only forty-eight feet. From my study o.
the question | convinced that ii would be a
grave mistake 70 have the avenue made narrower
alongside of the Park, and there is good reason
that | why ii should be-. In that part OF
the avenue there is q sidewalk twenty-five feet
wide on the west side and one twentyseven feet
/ wide on the cast side. believe hat the wise
fifteen feet. thus adding twelve feet TO the road
and o "A