The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-12
The City Engineer
BY DEL 3. DAVIS

There are no enemies Of good
streets. Everyone one knows that a
good street is better than a bad one,
,, and would rather have good streets
than bad ones, The only question has
been, What are we going to do about
it?"
For a number of years this city has
been building an rebuilding macadam
| streets at quite a cost. These maca-
| dam streets were build with the best
of workmanship and of materials.
They are the pride of our citizens.
! and the admiration of our visitors.
! They are nevertheless liable to
comparatively quick deterioration
when subjected to city traffic unless
binder is applied to their surface.
By reason of this quick deterioration,
the city has been spending the en-
! tire fund for street repair on certain
| streets located in central area. 9th
er streets in various parts of the city
have been neglected.
| This neglect was not intentional.
but caused by lack of funds. The city
was getting larger, yet the street de-
partment could make no progress out
side this central area.
| On being confronted with this pro-
position a year and a half ago, the
Board of Public Works decided on a
policy and program which gives pro-
mise to solve the problem to some
extent
Patch Gang Inaueurated
| First by the inauguration of a main
tenance repair or patch gang, consist
ing of one horse wagon and two help
ers. who repair the ruts and depres-
sions in macadam streets by means
of stone and hot tar. A few holes
patched in many streets practically
make them very good.
| Second. the policy of applying a tar
! binder. on the centers Of macadam
| and gravel streets at the city's eX-
pense. In this policy the citizens have
given the city the utmost cooperation
and have paid their portion in having
the binder applied to the sides of
these same streets.
Thus for small sum each year the
citizens are getting the same results
as if they had an expensive asphalt
or other hard surface pavement in
front Of their homes. 1t is an ack-
nowledged fact that the so-called IN
improved streets in Richmond are in
better condition than many so-called
permanent streets. We cannot get all
the advantages from these tarvia
treated macadam and gravel streets
as from an asphalt pavement nor
should we expect it, after looking
closely at the comparative cost of
each.
If we assume a street So feet wide
an asphalt pavement would cost the
!, property owner at $500 per So. yd.
about $4,000 for a so #. lot, which
; being paid for on the yearly plan
would be about $500 per year, neg
lecting the interest.
In comparison, it cost property own
ers this summer 63i cents per lnea
: foot or 1888 for so #. lot, to apply
a binder to the streets, which pro
! duced for all practical purposes
smooth, hard surface.
: Owners Satisfied
In view of this comparison, and as
: Stunning that a pavement is hard ant
> smooth and devoid of ruts and de
a pressions, it is giving good service
: and there will be no popular demand
: to have thA street paved with an eX
pensive construction which will cos
;. the property owners $4,000 for a 81
j fl. lot. 1t is very reasona BILE to eXpec
u that the citizens will still cooperate
u in the future with the city to kee
l. binder on all streets.
business streets and main thorough
, fares into the city should be pave
e with one of the modern city pave
: ments, such as comment, brick, asphal
g or wood block, while for Residential
l. streets these tarvia treated macadar
/ andgravel streets give very good serN
II ice for light traffic for one tenth tn
cost OF hard surface pavement.
e The past summer the city has al
S piled tarvia to over sl49,437 sQuar
II yards of surface, this being equivalen
I to an eighteen foot road over IA mile
o long. An unprecented achievement
e yet so small is this area compare
TO that part yet TO be covered. Til
/ Board of Works gets some encourag
% ment by realizing that if this polio
d is continued for few years Richmon
will possess many smooth streets.