West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-12-10
SMALL TOWNS NEEDS
Improvement Pointers on a Com
prehensive General Plan.
IDEAL LAYOUT FOR STREETS.
Diagonal Theroushfsres Should Rsdi-
ate From Railway Station Like
spokes From a Wheels Hub-Widths
For Streets and Road~ays.

huuoeA VI eihOoThtc reports nave pecn
published setting forth proposed plans
for the Improvement OF some OF tho
largest cities OF the country. While
these are interesting to all municipal
officials. their very elaborateness may
serve TO discourage the smaller COM
munities whose resources would not
permit any approximation 10 the ex-
penditure required for such improve
ments. Fortunately their needs are
similarly much less than those OF the
larger cities. A recent report for the
suburban town OF Ridgewood, n. j..
which has been submitted by Charles
Milford Robinson. Is unusually com
plete. considering the size OF the town,
and In an illustration OF the fact that
Intelligent and expert study OF condl-
tlons and recommendation for i'm
provements are as desirable for the
small community rs for the large and
that the adoption OF the plans need not
entail impossible expense, says the
Municipal Journal and Engineer.
In considering the general street plan
the report starts with the railroad sta
ton M the chief focus OF traffic, II be-
Ing the effort OF every commutcr TO
either reach It or get away from IT I'm
the shortest possible time twice every
day. The natural tendency for sub
urb fs to grow around the station as n
center In concentric rings, and I'm the
ideal suburban street plan diagonal
thoroughfares would radiate from the
station like the spokes from the hub OF
a wheel. Between these thoroughfares
at brief intervals would he short and
quiet streets. A secondary focus of the
town should be furnished by the town
hall and postofice.
Taking up the details OF the streets,
Mr.. Robinson FIRST considers the side
walks and unhesltatingly condemns
most of those I'm Ridgewood because
the walk proper Is placed about twelve
TO eighteen inches from the curb In
stead Of being at least three feet, as IL
should be I'm any residential district.
From five to ten feet would be better.
while for parkways, boulevards, etc.
the distance should be still greater.
Assuming q walk six feet wide. which
Is generally ample on street sixty
feet between lot lines, there should DO
three feet planted In turf between the
property line and the walk. then ten
feet In turf between the walk and the
curb. the latter strip carrying the street
trees and In most cases being further
ornamented with flowers and low
shrubs. Then would come twenty
two foot roadway, which is sufficiently
wide for any residential street I'm
small suburb which Is not arterial or
does not carry a heavy pleasure trafic.
On a street eighty feet wide. assuming
that there are no car tracks, there IL
such ample room for beautifying the
street that either the width OF the side
parking between walk and curb could
be made about fifteen feet or a central
strip OF grass fifteen feet wide could
divide the roadway into two, each
eighteen feet wide FIVE foot strip OF
turf still separating the walk from the
curb. Few wagons exceed eight feet
In width over nll, and touring cars sell
dom reach seven feet, so that an eight
cen foot roadway allows ample room
for passing. Where there IS n middle
strip OF parking all through traffic on
each side should be I'm the same direc-
tion.
Appearance is not the only argument
In favor Of such proportioning OF the
street space, but economy also argues
I'm its favor. A square foot OF road.
way is more expensive to construct
and 10 maintain than an equal area OF
turf; also, from sanitary point OF
view, the wider the road the greater
the volume Of dust, and the closer tho
road comes 10 the curb the nearer this
dust is TO the houses and to pedes.
.tri0ns. Moreover, It Is assumed, Of
course. that shade trees Will be planted
In the strip between sidewalk and
curb. and the wider this Is the
healthier the trees are apt to be and
the less the damage they do to both
curb and sidewalk paving. When
trees are planted In a strip only few
inches wide either they will be puny
and sickly and ultimately die for lack
Of nourishment, or II they do grow
vigorously they will force up the walk
and throw the curb out Of line. with
the wider strip Of turf there is better
Bymmetry TO the street as whole, a
few inches width only Of such being
too Insignificant a dimension in com
parison with the others and Irritating
by the lack Of balance. Moreover,
wide parking seems TO increase the
depth of the adjacent lots and gives
the houses a better setting.
As 70 curbing, II Is recommended
that uniformity in construction be re.
,quired IN each civic unit, such unit be.
ing a whole street or nt least n section
considerably longer than one lot The
report recommends the substitution OF
concrete cutters for cobbie ones, stat.
ing that the latter are difncult 20 keep
clean and are soon deficient I'm orderii
ness OF aspect.
Street trees should be, as Mr. Rob.
insOn states. the property OF the com.
munity as whole and In charge OF
its representative. one who has cx
pert knowledge and who should be re.
sponsible for their welfare IN every
way. The trees on any civic unit
should be uniform In variety, age and
spacing. If placed alternately on op.
posite sides Of the streets. large grow
Ing trees, sucb as naples or elms,
should be planted forty feet apart.
Modern town and city conditions re.
Quire that street corners be rounded
for both utility and looks The radius
should be not less than six feet, and
where the sidewalk width Is sufficient
this may be increased 20 nine feet or
more to advantage Angles In the
street lines are Objectionable, and
where they exist curves should be sub