The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-24
BUSY ARE We.
Traffic on Kansas Avenue Is
Very Large.
This Is Indicated by Comparison
With Boston.
is NEARLY AS MUCH.
Actual Figures Shown by Count
ing Vehicles.
An Estimate on Wear and Tear
Of Pavement.

of Pavement.
That Kansas avenue with regard to
the amount of traffic and the wear to
which it is subjected is almost on a par
with Massachusetts avenue, the busiest
street in Boston sounds astonishing but
is nevertheless true. If no reference
were to be paid to the comparative
widths of the two streets and the vary
ing effect caused by the distribution of
the foot pounds over a greater area the
equality of the two streets would be
still further marked.
In actual number of figures the num-
Der of vehicles that pass up and down
Kansas avenue exceed those upon Mas
contention of the woman who came
back from recent trip to several east
ern cities of from four to five times the
size of Topeka that from the stand
point of passing vehicles, Kansas ave-
| nue. was buster than any street in the
/ several cities visited seems to be es-
| tabhShed. Boston with a population of
close to 100000 and Topeka with $4,000.
! Massachusetts avenue has less than
one-third more traffic than Kansas ave
nue.. 1t looks astonishing, doesn't it?
Massachusetts avenue is paved with
bitulithic and in April 90, 1904, an indie
| pendent investigation was made, out or
| curiosity, of the amount of traffic on
| that street. The report made at that
time follows:
Number of vehicles, 1868 divided as
| follows: Light vehicles (empty) 1927;
| heavy one horse vehicles Ooaded),
! 301; heavy two horse vehicles (empty),
21S; heavy two horse vehicles Qoad-
ed, 157; extra heavy trucks, 64; auto
mobiles ClighD. Al; automobiles
/ (heaVV(. 40.
The light vehicles were estimated at
1000 pounds each, the heavy one horse
vehicles at 1000. the heavy two horse
vehicles, empty, at 1000 pounds, the
same loaded at 1000 pounds, the
heavy trucks at from 5000 to 10000
pounds and the automobiles from
1000 to 1000 pounds each.
The total represented 3,222,000
pounds
The record was taken from the
hours of o'clock in the morning I'M
til $50 in the evening. Massa chusetts
avenue is so feet wide with double
car tracks, thus combining the traffic to
80 feet With an idea of approximat-
ing conditions as closely as possible in
making the report upon the traffic on
Kansas avenue, H. J. Bevelle of GIG
| Fillmore street made a report cover
ing the traffic between Sixth and
Seventh on Kansas avenue for Thurs
day, July 20, just an average day, be-
tween the hours of z in the morning
and $50 in the evening. 1t will be
seen that like conditions as far as they
were able to be obtained were OBJ
served in making the estimate in To-
peka.
The approximate weights which
were given the vehicles follow: One
horse vehicles, loaded and unloaded,
500 pounds each; two horse vehicles,
horse vehicles, loaded each 1000
pounds; automobiles, 1900 pounds; a
total of 2,213,0O0 pounds. The sworn
statement of Bevelle follows:
This is to certify that at the instance
and request of Mr.. F. H. Webster, L,
/, the undersigned, did on Thursday, the
goth day of July, 1905, between the
J hours of o'clock in the morning and
$3.50 o'clock in the evening, from the
J south front window of the CONNER
cial club rooms at No. 627 Kansas ave-
nue., this city, proceed to take an
enumeration and count of the vehicles
that might pass given point on said
avenue and Immediately in my front,
} between the hours herein above
} named, the time being continuous, and
} in all ten and one-half hours.
And that on the next day, Friday,
: the 21st day of July, 1905, I made an
accurate count of the enumeration I
} had made of the number of said We
} hicles. and the following is the. result
} of my labors SO performed, towit:
; One horse vehicles. loaded and
unloaded $500. !, 1924
Two horse vehicles, unloaded. .. 1872
) Two horse vehicles, loaded 49,. 223
) Automobiles 49,. ... ST
Total number of vehicles. 1856
And I do further certify that this
B statement is absolutely correct and
0 true, as may be possible to make such
D an enumeration. H. J. BEVELLE.
0 SIG Fillmore St., Topeka, Kan.
July 81. 1905.
. The pavement on the Boston street
Y was laid and opened for traffic Novem-
U lax- al on, T.rIrx
4 1905.
3 To secure an idea of the similar wear
0 ing effects of the pavement, which in
Q this case was Bitulithic, as applied to
Y Massachusetts avenue in Boston and
= Kansas avenue in Topeka the following
q method of calculation is resOrted to
a Kansas avenue is 80 feet wide with q
0 double car track, combining therefore, the
0 traffic to 70 feet, being 1-3 times thai
Q of Massachusetts avenue. Because OF
y the greater surface over which the
y loads are distributed in the instance OF
y Kansas avenue the life Of pavement
n aside from the number Of pounds, thus
o far would be just 1-3 times that of the
0 life of the Massachusetts pavement ur
O to this time, or 1-3 times 932 days
Q being equal to 2,291 days. In pounds the
traffic on the two streets would be as
al 2,222,O00 pounds are to 2.213,000 multi
4 piled by the number of days.
o + This would give the pavement on
0 Kansas avenue S1z years before it would
0 have been subjected to the same amount
Q of wear as the pavement on Massa-
y chusetts avenue laid November Il, 1902.
From an engineering standpoint Kan
n sas avenue is entitled to add to the
0 above q on account of the concentration
o of traffic in the instance of MasSa-
% chusetts avenue. This makes a total OF
Y 13 1882 years. In other words if the
y same pavement had been laid on Kansas
0 avenue it would take 10 1882 years be-
n fore it would show the same amount OF
n wear as the DaVenent laid on MaSsa-