GRASSING THE STREETS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 253, 24 March 1914, Page 4

GRASSING THE STREETS.

ENGINEER'*; REPORT. Following on the suggestion of Cr nisou at a recent meeting'of the New lijmosit.i Borough Council, the BoroiH. Engineer, at last night's meeting of the, Council, submitted a report on the question el grassing the sides of the side streets, and tree-planting. The total width of most of the side streets was COft, the footpaths taking up 24ft, leaving 30ft "available for roadway. They would TOl „ b . c to , )e mi k>ss than 20ft wide if the traffic was to be confined to this portion only. This would leave a strip of Bft 'wide on either side, between the metal and the channel. These strips, if laid down in grass, would collect all the grit and dust and loose stones from the metalled portion, and in a few month* would mount higher than the metal, and thus prevent the storm-water from getting into the channels. The metal would then scour a way at a greater rate than at present. With ,-the ordinary waterbound macadam loose stones would be continually getting into the grass, preventing it from being cut eios.-r than about four inches from the ground. If the traffic was to be confined to the metalled portion, it would be necessnrv to protect the metal with Sol tar or a similar material, to net as a binding surface. If the Council could see its way to do this, then it would .be advisable to lay down grass in several of the side and back streets. The Council, he continued, bud gone to considerable expense in clearing <;rass, silt, and rubbish from the sides of several of the streets, which in many cases had accumulated so as to cause considerable si our and be. very unsightly, lie would suggest that an exocrimwital portion of a metalled road be treated with two coats of Solfar. the first coat to be sprayed into the metal before being blinded. The two sides between the inetal and the channels eonld then he laid down in lawn grass, and ornamental dwarf trees be planted in the middle of these grass strips. The matter will he held over until ifter the visit of the town-planning oxpert to New Plymouth.