Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-03-11
ROAD SUPERVISOR
" DISCUSSES STREETS
What the Work of the
Past Year Has
Shown.
.PIECEMEAL CONSTRUCTION
has been A CURSE
Observations Showing the Amount Of
Traffic at the Principal Cross
ings in the
City.

nal report says.
1.-THE condition Of the streets in Ho-
nolulu, their reconstruction and ie-
pair, present problem that requires
careful thought and study.
THE city has grown in the last few
years until 1t has become large and
populous. The enormous increase in
its population, the large building oper-
ations, ETC.. consequent to Its growth,
and the enormous increase in traffic,
show that streets which a few years
past were considered models Of street
construction, and at that time wee
suitable to the traffic imposed upon
them. have proven inadequate to the
present stress.
1.-THE present street system has been
constructed by piecemeal, as the Ee-
cessities Of the time required, without
definite plan or method, or due and
careful consideration as to grades aud
drainage, two Of the essential require
ments to good roads.
"Streets in the business portion Of
the city are macadamized with crushed
volcanic stone. In many cases the
original construction was we'll aad
thoroughly done. but the lack Of
thoughtful consideration given repairs
have placed many of them in condi-
ton requiring absolute reconstruction
In no case is there other than macad.
amIzed cutters. that are easily torn
to pieces by the horses hoofs and are
difficult OF repair.
AT every hitching post the horses
paw holes that soon fll up with the
offal from the street, which is absorbed
by the pavement and soon gives OF
offensive odors.
I'm the reconstruction OF the streets
these should be replaced with broken
stone grouted with cement, grout max.
Ing them impervious to moisture and
easily cleaned.
1.-THE sewer system recently installed
in Honolulu necessitated the tearing
up Of the entire street system by
means of longitudinal and cross
trenches. thereby destroying the sur
face; for 1t is a well-known fact that
q macadamized street torn up, as the
streets in Honolulu were, cannot DO
returned to its original condition, no
m a n hnuy anraf,,llu tho hanE Allina
may be. done and the macadam 70
placed. tits utterly impossible to 20
turn the street surface to its former
condition. ruts and depressions con
stantly appearing.
| "The construction Of the sewer sys.
TEN also revealed the fact that Homo
lulu strets have little or no covering ~
macadam.
zone of the main causes OF the rapid
wear upon the water front streets Is
the concentrated travel. There arc
only three streets that lead from the
wharves to the business portion Of tho
city that are In condition ft for
heavy traffic, namely, Fort. Alakes,
and Nuuanu streets.
with the improvement OF Richards
street to Queen street, and the opening
Of Edinburgh street to Hotel street
the traffic, which is at present confined
to the three above-named streets.
would naturally divide itself among
the six, thereby relieving the present
congestion, and consequent decrease
In the cost OF maintenance and repair"
The amount Of traffic on the mala
streets Of the city is enormous. The
road department took observations 10
July to discover the number OF light
and heavy vehicles passing the prir-
cipal crossings. The observations were
taken between the hours of and II
a. m. and and 8 p. m.
At Fort and Queen on July 16, 1855
wagons and drays and 1893 light veh!.
Giles passed. On July II, at Fort and
King, the number OF heavy vehicles
was 1853, light, zoos. On July IS, same
corner, heavy, 1884; light, 1857. On
July 10, at Fort and Merchant, 695
heavy and ll0l light vehicles passed.
On July 20, at Fort and Hotel, 55l
heavy and 1859 light vehicles passed.
On July 20, 1910 heavy and 1890 light
vehicles crossed the King street
bridge over Nuuanu stream. On July
"a, at the corner OF King and Nuuanu
streets, 1876 heavy and 1647. light vo
hicles passed. On July 25 at Nuuanu
and Hotel, SAT heavy and 76S light vs-
hicles passed. On July 20, at Nuuanu
and Queen, l4i5 heavy and 270 light