Present Status of the Street Pavino; Problem 



ill Kansas. 



BY E. C. MUkPHV, 



This paper is not in any stase iuleaJed as a comparison of the 

 "public spirit" of the people of the cities of Kansas, and indeed it 

 cannot be since street improvement is only one of several public im- 

 provements which cities are making. For example: one city engi- 

 neer reports that the only street pavement that his city has is one and 

 four-tentlis miles of broken stone, but they have good sidewalks and a 

 system of sewers, this city having concentrated her energies mainly in 

 this latter direction. The writer wishes simply to present some 

 statistics on this subject collected by him, and some facts drawn from 

 them as to the present condition of the streets of the cities of Kansas, 

 and the cost of their construction and maintenance. 



These statistics have been gathered from answers to printed ques- 

 tions sent to the city engineer of each city. They are, as nearly as 

 may be, in the language of the answers to the questions. The writer 

 thinks it unnecessary to mention the name of each city engineer but 

 wishes to express to each his thanks for the information so kindly 

 furnished. 



Kansas City, Kansas, — poi)ulation 38,316; has 2.52 miles broken 

 limestone, thirteen inches in thickness, costing Sr.yS per sq. yd.; 

 18.82 miles cedar block pavement, laid on concrete, costing $1.50 

 per sq. yd.; i mile vitrified brick, laid on concrete, costing $1.75 

 per sq. yd.; 1.02 miles asphalt laid on concrete, costing $2.80 per sq. 

 yd.; 0.17 mile of granite and Colorado sand stone block, laid on con- 

 crete, costing $3.00 per sq. vd. 



Topeka, — population 3i,oo7;has 34,445 sq. yds. red cedar block 

 laid on concrete; 3,520 sq. yds. white cedar block, laid on concrete; 

 51,315 sq. yds. Colorado sandstone, laid on sand; 10,578 sq. yds. 

 native blue limestone; 70,860 sq. yds. vitrified brick, laid on sand, 

 costing from $1.28 to $1.78 per sq. yd; 193,579 sq. yds. asphalt 

 laid on concrete, costing $2.80 per sq. yd. The only paving laid in 

 1892 was 46,893 sq. yds. of brick. This city has no broken stone 

 pavement. 



Wichita, — population 23,853; has 0.38 mile brick, laid on con- 

 crete, costing $2,025 per sq. yd.; 2.33 miles asplialt, laid on concrete, 



(27) KAN. UNIV. QUAH. VOI-. U, NO. 1, JULY, 1893. 



