The sun., 1912-08-04
ROAD FOR MOTORS ONLY
SUPPORTS TRAFFIC WELL
Pelham stretch Refutes Con.
tcntiOn That Cars De-
stroX Highways.
TWO YEARS. STILL SMOOTH
Repairs Needed Have Been
Minor-Good for Long
Time to Come.
TWO YEARS. STILL SMOOTH

at many opponents OF AUTOMOBILE.
,-s-:hat L.. opponents of building roads
that viii support automobile traffic---have
,.ttu mary occasions TO say that mo-
,or',ts should bc tayed more than any
o,hor u.c's OF tn" roads because they
Nss. th"m oun more than any other
t,,o's of Nchicles u New Jersey "A
-re,t mai,y taxpayers say they cannot
80 vhv thoy should bc called upon TO pay
10 tho CONSUMPTION Of roads whose re-
hulldius j. made necessary because of
thor not being lifted to the motor traffic
IN other words. whcn neglected dirt
ioads or poorly made highways Of later
types succunb to the new conditions the
blsin" is put on tho automobile The con-
,entlon Is raised that II the automobile
hadn't como along there would he no need
ot new highways. and further that auto
r'ohiic, dcstroy tn" roads.
Wcll. then. IL may he interesting to
h,so folks to hnow that In New York
cty ,h'r' has cAisted FOR two years d
.t-o'ch of road reserved for tho use OF
,u'o'nuh'l,S only which has supported the
t~s ~, uf passenger vehicles and COM
'uorc,.l wagons alike and even now show :
.,fltatior uf the statements about auto
nohj"s doing ny the roads
Won hnilt roadwHys from which horses
nth their cutting hoofs are barred stand
W pretty well under motor traffic The
.oadaay mentioned Is the highway that
parallels the Bronx and Pelham Parkway
on th" south sid" OF tho road. II bears
Ign that shows II is for the use of
automobiles only.
The road. II j. described IN the
Ahsricuu Moto,ist. was opened to travel
"arly IN the fall of 1910 and has had nenrl.
tao Years NJ cx'essiv" automobile traffic.
T. all intentS and purposes II H. in as
good condition ~ when IL was built cN-
opt at ono point toward the castrrly cnd,
where "A heavy fll occurs. there has be-.
4 slight settling which has opened to a
slight extent the crcvices between the
blocks. This will be fixed this season 10y
the contractor. whose guarantee covers a
i'eriod OF tiv" years. The road is we'll
,sn'-d 10y means OF lamps set at regular
intervals
\ smoother. better or IN any way more
desirable road for automobile traffic would
he hard to lind. The ASPHALT blocks are
what are known as the Hastings block
md are mad" up a. follows
'sphaltic cement. t...,...... to II parts
crushed trap rock ........S' to - parts
Inorganic stone dust ..... to 15 parts
The contract price OF tho paving. in
'luding excavation. nil. grading. was 80. 81
square yard.
The Bronx and Pelham Parkway is a
strip OF land 500 feet IL. width. extending
from Bronx Park northeastsrly to Pelham
Bay Park. While II is not entirely i'm
proved II already has the principal traffic
roadway along the centre. the southern
road for automobile use only. a bride
path. a bicycle path and "A sidewalk %,
two. When the design Of the parkway is
a st l,,...
along the northerly side OF the parkway
strip, series OF fuotpaths, flower beds
aud other demonstrations OF the art OF
the landscape gardener. At present the
ornamentation is in embryo. though many
trees have been planted.
The southerly roadway extends from
the beginning Of the parkway near BronN
Park to the viaduct over the New York
New Haven and Hartford Railroad tracks
Al the starting point the road Is not re
served for automobile use. For a shor,
distance until the crossing Of the White
Plains road is reached the road Is oi
,.a M y ~ a61i)S 49,
ton. like the rest Of the road, Is thirt!
feet wide.
Going countryward. the exclusive auto.
mobile road begins az the crossing u the
White Plains road and continues to the
tidduct referred to. where Il joins the
main roadway. which shortly afterwarG
becomes IA part Of the Pelham Bay Parl
>lstem OF driveways.
In construction the automobile road has
foundation OF six inches Of cement con
c.ete. which is a l q :5 mix OF Portland
,einent. sand and broken stone which will
rass through a lia inch mesh screen
rte surface IL Of asphalt blocks inches
oy ~ inches In superficial dimensions and
inches thick. The blocks we're laid or
ne concrete with bed Of Il cement
.iortar at least half an inch In thickness.
p",wecn. After the blocks were laid clear
saarp sand was brushed into the joints
nd a thin layer left on the surface unit!
Se"pt IN at the date OF final inspection.