The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-25
MOTOR CARSRU|N
MANY YSTREETS
New Traffic Conditions Make
Old Paving Unsat-
isfactory.
TESTS BEING MADE HERE
Results of Elaborate Experiments
in New York Arc
Awaited.
TESTS BEING MADE HERE

Officials of the City Engineers De-
partment are watching with interest
reports on Il series OF tests being con-
Quoted by the city OF New York 10 iind
n method of street paving that will
Withstand the wear of automobiles.
The two most pressing problems be-
fore the local Engineers Department
are TO find Ii suitable pavvment for
Broad Street. and u less expensive
form OF treatment of residence
streets.
In the past three months tho city of
New York has laid In ono section OF
I!ueensborough eighteen different KINDS
OF pavement for testing purposes. anu
a report OF the results Will be issued in
the spring after deserving the results
OF a winters wear. Government ON
Gals from Washington are taking
part in the experiments. which arc
under direction OF Nelson L. Lewis,
chief engineer of the Board of Esti-
mates OF New York City.
smooth Block Ia Expensive.
Probably the most satisfactory pave
nent yet laid in Rlcnmond is that on
Grace, Franklin and other slrGets fur
nlshed by the Washington Asphalt
Drick Company Compliant has been
made that when wet, IL is exceeding
ly slippery Tor horses, but The same
would PROBABLY be true OF any smooth
paving. The brick paving presents AN
ideal roadway for motor cars. showing
little or mo wear from the grinding
motion Of the driving wheels, whcn
tears macadGmiLeu street TO pieces
i'll "a remarkably snort time. The main
objection to the asphalt block is its
cost, the average bcInS about S4,UnU
Tor block vi the usual wiutn ana
length If laid on Broad Stree; all
the way across this form OF paving
would cost approximately $4,000 i
block, or which the street car com
pany would bear about one-fourtn
Unoer heavy traffic conditions this
pavement shows rapid signs of wear,
the crossing at Sixth ana Grace Streets.
where much heavy tcaming goes over
having been twice relatd
The vitriiied brick paving, sucn as
is laid on Franklin street between
Second and Third streets. Is mucn
harder and more durable, but is mucn
harder on horses, ana is very mucn
more noisy-so much SO that residents
on that block are petitioning for its
removal
Broad Street n Problem.
1t has been suggested that Broad
Street might be smooth paved on
the street car tracks. and the centre
paved with cut granite or Belgium
block. thus giving a hard roadway in
the centre tor heavy teams, with
smoother way toward the outside for
lighter vehicles. The Virginia Rail-
way and Power Company proposes TO
lay new and heavier rails on Broad
Street whenever tho paving Is Iona.
In order to crown the street and Sc
cure better drainage. 1t Will be nee
eesury to raise the centre tracks for
several blocks At present the whole
southern side OF the street from Fist
to Fourth is practically level. water
standing in puddles after each rain.
instead of drawing off to the culverts.
Both of the deep sewers have oeen
laid in Broad Street. and no far as the
Engineers o..ce is able TO toresee, the
only further excavations that may be
made there will be In the event that
the City Council grants general
lighting franchise TO the Richmond
and Henrico Railway Company, whcn
TO lay electric conduits along. so:n
sues OF the street
ON Residence Streets.
The other paving problem Is that of
the residence streets, both in East and
West Ends. There are I.-les Of streets
fully built up with homes. but on
which the land values hardly justify
the asphalt block paving at $4,000
blocK in the present state of the city's
finances. Gravel is largely used in the
outlying sections. and does fairly we'll
where traffic is light but In winter
weather and under heavy traffic condi-
tions, 1t affords anything but salts
factory conditions Motor caro-. with
their grinding back wheels. cut
through macadam almost as though 1t
had been plowed, and Richmond's eN-
periments with oil have not been alto
gether satisfactory. In the parks,
where traffic is light, the oiled roads
hold we'll, but under heavy traffic con-
ditions oiling has simply resulted as
a member of the Street Committee re-
Gently stated. in changing the color
of the mud. An experiment Is now
being made on Fifth Street. between
Main and Franklin with macadam
street with a bitumen binder. which,
it is claimed, will withstand the wear
of motor cars and heavy trafiic. and at
the same time present fairly smooth,
noiselcss and dustlcss surface The
cost OF that block is about Sl,SOO, ana
if it proves successful, 1t is believed