The Parker post., 1914-06-06
NEW YORK STREETS.
City's' Highways Would Reach to
San Francisco.
All Within 327 Square Miles-HoW
Conditions Of Construction and Up
keep Have Changed With Con-
tinualIy Changing of Traffic.

New York-If the streets Of New
York city were placed end to end,
they would make thoroughfare near
ly so feet wide all the way to San
Francisco The population of the city
would form a constant line upon each
sidewalk of persons six feet apart;
and at the busiest portions OF this
transcontinental highway during ten
hours of the day, 1,400 vehicles would
pass a given point every hour. Yet
these 2,677 miles of streets are COM
prised within an area of 327 square
miles, of which, accordingly, they con-
stitute one-twelfth. These are among
the facts assembled in an article by
Frederick F. Bachley in the National
Municipal Review.
In New York the borough president
has control of the streets in his bor-
ough, with power to appoint and dis
miss a commissioner of public works,
For local purposes, the city is divid-
ed also into 25 districts, in each OF
which is a local board, composed OF
the aldermen from the district and
the borough president The board has
power to initiate proceedings to open,
close, widen, extend and pave the
streets in it's district No resolution is
valid without the approval of the bor-
ough president
There are 460 miles of streets in
Manhattan, and all of these are paved
with the exception of about II riles
in the northern part, in the section
that is built up since the completion
of the subway When the present ad-
ministratiOn came into power four
years ago, complaints about the
streets were loud and numerous, par
ticularly with respect to the sheet as
phalt pavement. Not only was the sur
face of these pavements in bad condl-
ton. but the foundations were defec-
tive To make the matter as bad as
possible, there were more miles OF
this type of pavement in the borough
than any other. AS, consequently, 1t
formed the principal thoroughfares of
Manhattan, the breaks, hollows and
uneven surfaces in it were painfully
apparent.
One reason for this unfortunate
state of things was the increase that
had taken place in the weight OF the
average load since the pavements had
been laid Another was the larger
number of motor cars and trucks, with
their tendency to slip, and so to scoop
out the pavement.
For some mysterious reason, which
the reader can conjecture as we'll as
any one, this inexcusable faulty meth
cd of construction was continued even
after the time when the new kind of
vehicles and greater loads made sound
foundations essential. Thirty miles Of
pavement with poor foundations were
laid in 1903, and it was not until three
years later that the practice of lay
ing sound concrete foundations be-
came general in the borough.
Because of this himsy construction
and the age of the pavements. the
cost OF upkeep had become enormous.
1t soon appeared that the greater part
Of the pavement in the borough would
have to be renewed Previous to 1910
about 81 100000 year had been spent
in paving. In 1911 this amount was
raised to 81 100000, and in 1912 to $3,-
100000 AS result, so miles of streets
were laid last year, making a total of
1870 miles in three years, or nearly a
quarter of the entire length of the
pavement in Manhattan. There is no
economy in repairing streets after they
get into bad condition. 1t is better to
repave them. Pursuance of this policy
reduced the number of square yards
of roadway done in 1912 from the 478,-
900 of 1911 to 1863, 900. And despite
the steadily rising prices charged by
the asphalt companies this work was
done at an average cost of Is cents a
square yard, instead of the II cents
which it cost in 1911 The most inter
esting outcome of the city's fight with
these companies, however, is the pro-
ject for a municipal asphalt plant,
which may be in operation before the
end Of the year.