New-York tribune., 1911-03-13
BAD STREETS A HERITAGE
u,aneny Feels That He Has Been
Criticised Unjustly.
,sKs A BETTER PAVEMENT

Condemns Continued Patchwork
ard Jurisdiction DIVIDED
Among Three Chiefs,
v,~ourh President McAneny feels tha' ne
80 u,iustly criticised for the present
s,,,cn of the pavements. he acknowi-
c.. rat conditions are bad. but says ~
q, a great measure 70 the quality of
- inherited by his administration.
~. svs-e~n cor keeping the streets in re-
80 ~ ire fact that the weather col
la- rs winter have been exceptionally
- for oavements
.--,,s real test of the efficiency OF the re-
u.ort said President McAneny in
l-..-,ent Yesterday. will be found IN the
-s,,ioos prevailing in April and NAV, not
&c Of r,idwinter The statements
-ode here and there 10 the effect that the
-, "have never been worse are un'
ss-..ssarilv exaggerated. In 1907. for in
.ca fhe area OF broken surface was
'...,nr ike double what II is to-day
=, me end Of February. but on June !.
o.. some memories are short
Re5airins Rotten Asphalt.
r-.s,6ent McAneny said that the work of
..,-,,g the rotten asphalt that covers so
-. mart Of the street area has been pro-
- ae raridlv as physical ability will
-. but that the results have been con-
.e,,lv risstated i'm some quarters. The
,,rsou Of highways already had complet-
:, ,hs work Of repair on most Of the main
- I'D south thorouGhfareS and was
cstri7c well into the side streets. The
-. covered included Fifth avenue from
-,,.s,,nrton SQUARE to 10th street. with
.ss blocks further north now in process,
o-osswav from 18th 10 125th street Sew
=, ana Eighth avenues. throughout their
i've length: Madison avenue. from 23d
: ssth street. Lafayette street, the broad
,rosstovn streets and such downtown
rests - Park Row. Nassau, Wall and
william streets.
Tired Of the Patchwork.
', the last two weeks. he said. practically
-. niece OF repair apparatus az the dis
,o..i Of the paving companies had been at
~ and with three or four more weeks
:. ,,irlv good weather the winters damage
,,rst 10 5e pretty nearly completed. lie
tiisd
arbs remedy for the conditions of which
=, ,ovn Justly complains lies. however not
/, continued patchwork but in permanent
,,-sction have. as I have stated. been
,,.narinc f-r some time 10 ask public con
ss,ation for q comprehensive plan. II
ali cost tho city some money to do what I
,.,svs should be done. but no investment
1. could make would tend more. In my
A,rrent toward promoting ultimate econ
arv The bills rcr surface repaiT work
-,ss- all ieaas run to-day in Manhattan
.o,e inward 5000. 600 or 100000 annually.
Y The losses involved in this expenditure
.nls be capitalized and an equivalent OF
,.st amount alone spent or new work the
--,of Of economy would promptly appear"
osverents Unfit for Purpose.
-b4 cbsracter o. the present pavements
~ the r1ost part. President McAneny said,
r,s wrs-ches,v unfit for traffic Ike that OF
w,rhattar He has had engineers examine
available types fer permanent repaving.
h expects % present recommendations 10
ne Board Of Estimate for q general re-
placement cf tie old type pavements
large part of the present asphalt was
- n a bed NJ cobblestcnes, which have
so-, through the surface and allowed II
v sag. How much asphalt will b. used
N ne futgre" he said, "is prcblematcal.
bu, wherever &c IS used the specifications
Will csn for comrIete concrete base, as
hey have f'- year or two past"
Further trouble IS caused by the fact that
,hs city mas no asphalt repair plant Of its
ov- The greater pat f the work has
been done arler contracts calling for a
yusraa.es % repair for q specified time.
averaging from Eve % fifteen years.
Suits Were Threatened.
"Yo, .rfrequen,'y .t has been necessary
to t,-ea,en sui,s 81 c-der 70 get the com
rar.ss % meet their Obligations in that re-
srect," said the Borough President ~
one q them defaults the only recourse s 70
g 20 one cf the other companies and as
they already divide ,h4 work and have
practically IDENTICAL relations with the city.
t'is remedy is not very effective
He asserted that tie Corporation Coun-
81 has claims amoIr-iue 20 $4,000 20 re-
cover mcnev spent by the city in repairing
Cd parements thar had been abandoned nv
the original contractor. He knew Of no ~.
sta--e o. successful collection. lie homes
70 gst money from The Board Of Estimate
% establish a r1-i-ipa' repair plant
Responsibility New Divided.
7he Borough P.eeiJert also said:
Another con~r-atinS clement in the
present situation lies r The division OF re-
TonsitNty between various city depart
nen's ari TIE railroad o1mpanies. A great
d'al o. the area % which defective condi-
tors are TOW found is either entirely out
ny igrisdictirr or practically cut OF IT.
All Of the so-cai'ed park streets. which
iofm q cons.ae~atie ~ro-Octicn q the nile
2ge O. the borough including such sra IS
as Columbus Circle. Central Park Plaza and
Aah street ~ roe rost~ flee. are under the
l-'lsoction ot d.. Park Department. The
'NeTiTont streets. including the full length
o' West and So-t. streets. are under the
Dock Derart7l4-t
ihs area between street railway tracks
pa extending 90 o. width ~ TWO fee on
''-s' side Of tre outer rails is required
= kept IN order by the operating COM
'anes Where The companies fail 70 give
,''PH attention 10 their part ! may order
.'n % DO 60 b.t The charter requires that
&c gwen thirty days notice. and me
s cannot be- taken ont q their hands
nfy have rad such notice.
''s'e IL li't'e excuse for this scattering
"S7onsibility and { hope through The
s Charter legislation 70 get z con
-@'eo ~ the Bureau Of Highways. Th@
."s4. should 30 the corporation work