Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-02-12
SMALL TOWNS NEEDS
Improvement Pointers on a Com
prehensiye General Plan.
IDEAL LAYOUT FOR STREETS.

For Streets and Roadways.
During the past two or three years
number Of elaborate reports have been
published setting forth proposed plans
for the Improvement Of some Of the
largest cities OF the country. While
these are interesting to all municipal
officials, their very elaborateness may
serve TO discourage the smaller COM
munitles whose resources would not
permit any approximation to the ex
penditure required for such improve.
ments. Fortunately their needs are
similarly much less than those OF the
larger cities. recent report for the
suburban town Of Ridgewood, n. j.,
which has been submitted by Charles
Mulford Robinson Is unusually com
plete considering the size Of the town,
and Is an illustration Of the fact that
intelligent and expert study Of condl
tions and recommendation for i'm
provements are as desirable for the
small community az for the large and
that the adoption " 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
tlon 0s the chief focus Of traffic, 1t be-
Ing the effort OF every commuter to
either reach 1t or get away from II In
the shortest possible time twice every
day, Tho natural tendency for sub
urb IL 10 grow around the station as Il
center In concentric rings, and In the
ideal suburban street plan diagonal
thoroughfares would radlate from the
station like the spokes from the hub Of
q wheel. Between these thoroughfares
mt brief intervals would be short and
quiet streets. A secondary focus OF the
town should be furnished by the town
hall and postoiIice.
Taking up the details OF the streets,
Mr.. Robinson first considers the side
walks and unhesltatlngly condemns
most Of those IN Rldgewood because
the walk proper IL placed about twelve
10 eighteen Inches from the curb In
stead Of being at least three feet, as 1t
should be IN any residential district,
From five to ten feet would be better,
while for parkways, boulevards, etc,
the distance should be still greater.
Assuming walk six feet wide, which
IL generally ample on street sixty
feet between lot lines, there should be
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
ornnmentcd with flowers and low
shrubs Then would come n twenty
two foot roadway, which IL sufficiently
Wide for any residential street IN II
small suburb which IL not nrtcral or
does not carry heavy pleasure traiilc,
On street eighty feet wide, assuming
that there are no car tracks, there Is
such ample room for bcautfymg the
street that either the width of the side
parking between walk and curb could
be made about hftccn feet or Y central
strip Of grass tiftoon feet wide could
divide the roadway into two, each
eighteen feet wide, five foot strip OF
turf stlll separating the walk from the
curb. Few wagons exceed eight feet
IN width over all and touring cars sell
dom reach seven feet, ~ that an eight.
cen foot roadway allows ample room
for passing Where thore is middle
strip Of parking all through traffic Oh
each side should be In the same dlrec
tlou.
Appearance Ia not the only argument
In favor OF such proportloning OF the
street space, but economy also argues
IN It's favor square foot OF road.
way ls more expensive TO construct
and TO maintain than an equal area OF
turf; also, from sanitary point OF
view. the wider tho road the greater
the volume Of dust. aud the closer the
road comes to the curb the nearer this
dust IL TO the houses and TO pedos
TRANS. Moreover, Il Ia assumed, Of
course that shude trees will he planted
In the strip between sidewalk and
curb, aud the wider this Is the
healthier the trees are apt 20 bo and
the less the damage they do to both
curb and sidewalk paving. When
treos are planted IN a strip only few
inches Wide eithor they viii be puny
and slckly and ultimately die for lack
OF nourlshmcnt or n they DO grow
vigorously they will force up the walk
AMI throw tho curb cut Of line with
tho wider strip ~ turf there is better
symmetry TO the street as a whole, q
few inchcB width only W such bclng
too Insignificant y dimension IN com
porlson with the others and Irritating
by the lack " balance. Moreover
wide parking seems to increase the
depth " the adjacent lots and gives
The houses better setting,
As 10 curhlng lt IL recommended
that uniformity IN construction bc re
Qulrcl lH each civlc unit such unit I've
ing ~ whole street nr az least a section
considerably longer than one lot Th,
report tvcumwcrts the substitution OF
concrete cutters for vobOc ones. stat
Ing that thc latter are dlmeult 60 kccl
clean and urc soon deficient IN oricr',
hess ~ aspect
S'rr" i".ce vh'uN hc 0s NJ N'h