The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-08
ROAD REPAIRS.
Attention Of Boulevard
Commissioners Called
to It's Condition.
WORK FOR STREET BOARD
Wear and Tear of Winter
Has Loft Some Bad
Places.

1T is about time for the annual repairs
to the Boulf yard to be made. The Boule-
ward. as a result of the terribly wet
winter, is in bad condition. The electric
lights along the road are in many cases
useless-in the majority of cases they
give very little light. The globes are dill
ferent from those used Throughout the
city, being closed at the bottom. Many
Of the globes are smashed. May of those
not rendered useless are filed with dirt
and debris. Beneath the suspended arc
light there is a large spot of darkness.
This is dangerous for cyclists. Tin cans,
sticks and stones are scattered from one
end of the road to the other. These it is
impossible for cyclists to see, on account
of the dim light.
Innumerable trenches have been dug
along the road by builders. These
trenches have never been properly filled
in and little hills and softentimes ruts are
formed. These are simply murderous. 1t
is miraculous that accidents of a serious
nature have not occurred. About half a
mile south of the Newark and New York
Railroad bridge are a number of bad
holes. These lave been loosely filled in
with dirt and stones. A number of riders
I1df6 DCCl al tAiAo SPots ~
are not more than two lamps on the whole
road at the bad places in the road to act
as a warning to cyclists, and as the road
is in darkness this neglect appears all
the more criminal.
Apparently nothing has been done as
yet to remedy the deplorable4 state of the
road. In no place on the road is there
ri core than half a mile of continuous good
road. Some parts are covered with dirt
and loose sand, others have been entirely
Invested of top dressing leaving the rock
foundation bare. These places resemble a
huge nutmeg crater. and a rider exper-
fences a most unpleasant sensation when
pedaling over them unawares.. The road
bed is fairly good at some points, needing
only a top dressing.
Fully half of the fourteen mile of road
way is covered with a layer of Sane and
dirt varying in depth from a fraction of
an inch to several inches. Pushing
through this kind of roadway is quite
difficult for cyclists.
Probably the worst section of the road
is that north of West Newark avenue.
This portion has always been in more
or less miserable condition, but it is now
worse than it has ever been. There are
several large hills within a few minutes
ride of Newark avenue. There the water
which rushes down the hills carries dress
ing and everything before it. AS a result
the bottom rock is constantly exposed and
riders are subject to much danger. AT
the foot of these hills at least three
inches of mud has gathered. Pushing a
bicycle through this is no easy task.
The Bergen section is undoubtedly the
best kept of amy. Here the road is almost
level for a distance. of several miles. In
Greenvil1e beginning about two or three
blocks east of the cana bridge there is
another very dangerous spot for riders.
The road has caved in several time and
it has nver been properly filled in. The
result of this negligence makes riding
over little hills and down cutters anything
but a pleasure.
Beneath the Lehigh Valley Railroad
bridge. just over the Bayonne line, there
is a spot tina cyclists pass with a shud-
der. Here several riders have been ser
ious1y injured, one meeting his death. The
road is as dark rs pitch and to make
matters worse there are two hills.
Throughout the Bayonne and Bergen
sections contractors carelessly leave
piles of lumber and masons' materials
scattered about the road. No lights have
been put out to serve as a warning, a
matter which the police should attend to.
Another bad feature is that there are
no lights on the Bergen Point or Newark
and New York bridges of the Central
Railroad. This makes riding at this point
where the road is a series of steep hills,
positively dangerous.
AS the bicycle season is now fast APP
preaching, no time should be lost in put
ting the road, in a rideable condition.
Boulevard Commissioner Daniel X. Lew
is was asked by a News reporter what
provisions had been made for the repair
ing and maintenance Of the big roadway.
w intend to start the work Of put
ting the Boulevard into good condition
within a very few days" he said. The
work will be done in a most thorough
manner. We will begin at Newark ave-
nue. and have two gangs, one working
in each direction. The road, I admit, Is
not In the best of condition, and 1t will
take some time to repair 1t thoroughly
Mr.. Lewis was asked what a~ppropria-