Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-06
FACTS ABOUT STREETS
Broad street One Of the Four Most
Heavily Travelled Avenues In the
U. S.-Half Our cities Pre-.
fer Brick Paving
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN
DROAD STREET, Philadelphia, is


DROAD STREET, Philadelphia, is one
ID of the four most heavily travelled streets
in the United States.
The other three are Fifth avenue, New
York; Pennsylvania avenue, Washington,
and Michigan boulevard, Chicago.
The almost marvellous development of the
motor vehicle is responsible for the dstinc-
tion of these highways.
Automobiles seek the roads of least re-
sistnnCc and SmoothCst travel. For this
reason the thoroughfares named. wide and
paved with sheet asphalt, are popular above
all others.
As the multiplication of motor vehicles
progresses it will follow that the smooth
durable pavement will take precedence over
other types where traffic is heaviest in large
cities.
New York has 400 miles Of street paved
with some form Of asphalt
Chicago has 1900 miles Of asphaltc tyne
thoroughfarcS and Washington about 200
miles.
VIZ L. ROSENGARTEN takes issue with
w. n paragraph which recently appeared
in this column.
1t related to tho superiority of cement
highways over other types.
1t was the sum Of my talks with engineer
ing authorities OF this State.
Mr.. Roscngnrtcn. who is an engineer.
gently pats the paragraph on the back for
what he calls "thc general SOundness of the
mount need Of tho road builder of today is
surface material that will withstand heavy
traffic.
TIL" nsphatic type, in the light of his
engineering experience. he SAYS, Is what tho
auto driver ycarns for and the road which
the highway builders of the country must
ultimately and universally supply
Then Engineer Rosengarten catapults this
question into the foreground:
'Why build tcninches of re enforced con-
.l,.A
thickness and carry many times tho traffic
of tho country rOHdS?'
lie Immediately proceeds to answer HIM
self thus:
AN asphalt surface provides not only n
wearing course. but cushion which absorhs
III" shock impact and reduces the shattcring
effect OF III" rigid main structure of the
street.
Philadelphia is considerably concerned just
now over It's paving. its character. cost and
durability.
TT HAS few. If any, concrete paved thor
/ oughfarcs.
Mr. Ros"ngnrtcn fires this salvo at the
concrete kind Of road:
'"To build cvon thicker rigid slabs re.
enforced with steel. is an effort to defy the
pounding of traffic and the mighty expansion
and contraction Of matter during temper
nturc and moisture changes by sheer un-
yielding strength.
" Il cannot be- done within allowable cost.
III is bctt"r to rely upon resilient. water
proof cushion surfaces. to take up the shock
of impact and protect the foundation from
atmospheric changes.
CIITEF DUNLAP of the Bureau Of High.
~ ways. furnishes this interesting infor-
nation on the subject
tNpCuenc" has proved that sheet asphalt
and grant" blocks are two types of pavement
best adnptcd 10 heavy traffic
Over - per cent of asphalt pavement in
this city is over fifteen years of age and
still going strong.
Several years ago traffic census showed
that Broad street. between Huntingdon and !
Cumberland streets. was carrying / | 900 |
vehicles every eight hours, about 5000 of
which Wrr" motOrtru"kS, with excellent |
lr>UllS.
TllE United States Government is taking
l. greater interest in road building today
than over hCfOr" in its history
Il has no single standard of road for urj
form adoption throughout the country.
The Chief Of the Bureau Of Public Roads !
H"hrV"N IN N1!IlHIng more than one type Of
road and that no TYP" should be specified by
law.
The kind Of thcroughfares should ho do
rd"d by tn" locality. proximity Of available
material. cost and character Of traffic
All TINS. however. IS matter 10 bc do
Z id"d hy I'll" StNto Highway Department in
which. he says should be lodged fun author. |
1ty.
ERIE i the h"sr -puyod Of the smaller
IL cities Of PENNSYLVANIA. Harrisburg
comes next. !
Harrisburg ha, "jRhry-rour miles of
street, whiI" Fri" An> ninety eight and one. |
half miles.
Tn" thrd-cja>s city With the smallest
amount Of paved thoroughfarcs is Coatcs. |
willie. which has lw" aud seven hundrrdtb |