The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-12
REALM OF NEGLECT
Horrible State of the City's
Streets North of Pa
yonia Avenue.
LEFT OFF IMPROVEMENT BOOKS
Atrocious Pavement in Streets Used
for Heavy Trucking-No Pay
ing in Some Places.
LEFT OFF IMPROVEMENT BOOKS

There is a section of this city which has
been sadly neglected III the matter OF
street improvements of late years.. With
all the a~sphalting and repairing OF the
city's streets, none of those from Sixth
street north or from Grove street west
nave been repaired. So they have sunk
into a wretched condition; a condition
that is aggravated at present by the pre-
vailing thaw.
Disguised with the state of affairs and
determined that something must be done
to bring about a change for the better,
| several of the leading business men of
the neighborhood, connected with the
| North End Citizens Association, ave
been discussing the existing evils and
plans for their Improvement. Two of the
leading spirits are Mr.. John Casey of
Thirteenth and Grove streets and Mr..
Andrew j. Corcoran, whose mandatory
of windmilIs is at Thirteenth street and
Jersey avenue. Besides these a large
number of property owners holding mem
| bership in the association are Interested.
h they complain of are the pave
ments. That of Grove street is none too
eN0Il, anu EFfS, NdTlch, .NlOHHlOutH anu
Coles street are worse. Jersey avenue is
the best of a bad lot of Belgian block
thoroughfares.
This roadway is at least what it pro-
fesses to be; Belgian block. The stones
of which it is composed are of granite,
evenly cut and of regulation size. But
the spaces between them are too wide
for the best wear and are filled with dirt.
In spite of the uniformity of the blocks
riding over them is rough, for the pave
ment has sunk in many places. So gem
eral is thisthat no particular spot is very
bad, but rather the whole roadway is out
of repair, presenting the appearance of
a choDpy sea.
The other t~horoughfares that parallel
this are paved with irregular blocks, APP
proximately square, set so loosely to-
| gether that dirt oozes up between them
at all times. The sunken spots in the
pavement of these streets are more nu-
merous han on Jersey avenue. Dozens
of ruts, dangerous to truckmen, are to
be found in all the ~pttvenents.
1t is in the cross streets, however, that
the worst state of affairs exists. The
condition of Pavonia avenue is p%articu-
Sit De-b, us N%ot N14Ae - -
travelled street, leading as it does to the
Pavonia ferry and having upon 1t many
business places using delivery wagons
Beginning at the next and moving east
ward its condition is briefly thiS-At the
foot of the hill meadows the is a flied
in roadway to Coles street. Then comes
a block that Swi1ns in mud to a depth
Of from six inches to a foot. AT present
this has the consistency of molasses.
The next block is paved with Belgian
block. 1t is full of ruts and hollows on
either side, but the centre is compare
lively even. On the south side of this
block are the Wells Fargo Express Com
pany's stables, and a choice collection
of holes in the street.
To Varick street the centre of Payonia
avenue is fairly good. East of that it
goes to the bad. utterly. Thus far the
pavement has shown a different grade
for each square yard.
From East Hamilton place to Erie
street asphalt furnishes a good roadway.
The transition to Belgian. block is ac-
complished at Erie street with a drop of
six inches in the grade. An elevated sec
the avenue makes a dangerous rut.
From Erie street eastward the evil
grows and graduates. Ruts line the
tracks on either hand all the way to the
ferry. There are ruts and holes aplenty,
and the only part of the pavement that
can be well spoken of is that between
the tracks of the Consolidated Traction
Company. Most of the ruts and holes
are of the size of and shape that incline
to catch heavily laden trucks and keep
them stuck for a long time to the block
ing of all traffic.
Thirteenth street, important as the
street leading to the viaduct, and thence
to the Hill section, is positively as bad
if not worse than Pavonia avenue. 1t
through not having car tracks upon it.
The roadway is a checker board of de-
pressions and ruts, deep enough to be
very dangerous to horses legs and to
trucks and wagons.
Mr.. John Casey, seen in his hotel at
Grove and Thirteenth street, said:-"The
condition of the streets in this neighbour
hood speaks for itself. What this con-
dition is cannot be described. You must
rave been impressed with it as you came
here. So much traffic is carried on
around here, chiefly trucking, that the
faults in the pavement are seriously
felt.
1t is strange that this section of the
city seems to have been off the books
when improvements were given out dur
ing many years past. The North End
Citizens Association will endeavor to
unite on this point, the improvement of
the streets, hereabouts."
Mr.. Andrew J.. Corcoran, manufacturer
of windmills, at Jersey avenue and
Thirteenth street, said:-'The state of
trucking here I appreciate the fact. 1t is
not because the section has not had i'm
p~rovernents and excellent ones, but be-
cause it has been so neglected of late that
the roads have become worn out.
"Pavonia avenue is an example of how
bad a road can become, and Thirteenth
street is another: In my estimation these
are the principal roads hereabouts."
Frank J.. Matthews, real estate dealer,
at Pavonia avenue and Erie street, said:-
"The pavements are good compared to
rough country roads, but are not what
city residents have a right to expect.
There is much room for Improvement,
though I believe the Street and Water
Commissioners are willing and anxious to
do their duty in a manner fair and salts
factory to all sections of the city,"