City commissioners may decide tonight whether to undertake a brick street renovation project in Old West Lawrence.
The city previously had received a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation to rehabilitate the brick portion of Ohio Street, between Sixth and Eighth streets.
The project would involve removing the existing road, cleaning and salvaging bricks and stone curbs, treating the subgrade of the road, and then replacing the bricks.
But the grant will pay for only 80 percent of the approximately $980,000 project. The city would have to pick up about $195,000 in costs. City commissioners need to decide whether they want to fund the project and how it would address future brick street project requests.
City commissioners meet at 6:35 p.m. today at City Hall.
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Ragingbear (anonymous) says…
It's interesting that some of these brick roads in town have stood up this well, being that some were laid out up to 100 years ago. Yet they are just now needing to really do repair work on them. I wonder how well Iowa or Kuckold will stand up if it were made of brick.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Brick streets carry a 50 year life according to what I read so think what brick sidewalks life must be. It seems any additional cost pays for itself.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Brick streets carry a 50 year life according to what I read so think what brick sidewalks life must be. It seems any additional cost pays for itself and slows traffic.
*http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-07-31-brick-roads_x.htm
*http://www.goodlandnet.com/history/brickstreets.htm
*http://www.historicalbricks.com/brick-pavers.html?gclid=CMHr7ZOGu44CFQTHIgodv3B0yA
The Charm Of Brick Streets
Illinois
History / Preservation
Transportation
Posted by: maryereynolds
18 July 2006 - 12:00pm
In the debate over asphalt or brick for streets in Illinois, some communities choose longer-lasting brick.
"Oak Park Village President David Pope said initial estimates indicate that the higher price of restoring brick can be more than offset by lower maintenance costs and longer life than asphalt."
Forest Park's $10 million infrastructure improvement plan includes reconstruction of about half of the town's 12 blocks of brick streets. According to Forest Park Administrator Mike Storino: "Our residents are very fond of their brick streets, and we didn't even consider paving them with asphalt. We like them for a number of reasons. They bring traffic speeds down and they add character to the neighborhood."
Chicago area communities restore brick streets for aesthetics and traffic-calming.
In the debate over asphalt or brick for streets in Illinois, some communities choose longer-lasting brick.
"Oak Park Village President David Pope said initial estimates indicate that the higher price of restoring brick can be more than offset by lower maintenance costs and longer life than asphalt."
Forest Park's $10 million infrastructure improvement plan includes reconstruction of about half of the town's 12 blocks of brick streets. According to Forest Park Administrator Mike Storino: "Our residents are very fond of their brick streets, and we didn't even consider paving them with asphalt. We like them for a number of reasons. They bring traffic speeds down and they add character to the neighborhood."
Source: Chicago Tribune, Jul 17, 2006
Full Story: Red-brick streets are resurfacing
*http://www.planetizen.com/node/20550
cowboy (anonymous) says…
These current brick streets in Lawrence are where the doctors will send you to shake loose a kidney stone , they are horrible to drive on. If they are going to move ahead with this the method should be examined closely to assure a safe surface that is not heaving and dipping .
KsTwister (anonymous) says…
When you consider that for the money those bricks are good for another 50 years of low maintenance its a good deal. Now if the city will put that money where it belongs this time.
clc1298 (anonymous) says…
Is the "grant money" still there? I wonder. Is today's brick as as sturdy as yesterday's brick?
In lieu of past history, my answer's to both questions would be a big "NO"
oldgoof (anonymous) says…
And the city is running out of money?
imastinker (anonymous) says…
I wonder if bricks are made in China now. Are they subject to recall?
funkdog1 (anonymous) says…
Actually, today's bricks are sturdier, because they are fired at a higher and more consistent temperature.
jrlii (anonymous) says…
What about the brick streets in "Old East Lawrence?"
The brick portions of Pennsylvania Street are in dreadful condition: It's practically a continuous series of speed bumps, with holes through to the substrate and lumpy concrete patches. . .
jmadison (anonymous) says…
Create a special benefit district and charge the homeowners on those streets with the difference.
They benefit from the ambience, not the general taxpayers of Lawrence.
toefungus (anonymous) says…
Git-R-Done
tony88 (anonymous) says…
"Create a special benefit district and charge the homeowners on those streets with the difference.
They benefit from the ambience, not the general taxpayers of Lawrence."
Sounds good to me... as long as this benefit district not have to pay for the tri-annual resurfacing of asphalt streets in other areas over the life-span of their brick streets. This does benefit the general taxpayers of lawrence by reducing future maintenance costs.
Todd (anonymous) says…
One thing I've noticed is that brick roads don't slow drivers. The brick road could be wet and littered with pot holes and fools will still go 40mph down a residential street. (Even with street parking on both sides)
Godot (anonymous) says…
Waste of money. I lived on a brick street for years; the neighbors petitioned to keep it brick in order to serve as a traffic deterrent and speed calmer. One night, after a football watching party, a guest of mine walked to her car down the street, stepped into a hole and broke her ankle, compound fracture. She wrote the city requesting that it pay for her medical bills; the city responded that they are not responsible for the condition of the streets!
tony88 (anonymous) says…
so Godot, your friend was asking for a handout from the government? aren't people responsible for their own health care? etc. etc.
the problem you cite was because the street wasn't repaired. it didn't happen because it was brick. i see many a hole in the beautiful asphalt streets around town.
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
What about weeds? Grass and weeds will always grow between the bricks. Is this "maintenance" being taken into consideration?
I guess we can always get some "volunteer" weed-pullers if they aren't too busy in our wonderful pesticide-free chigger parks.
(Okay, I actually kind of like brick streets but I had to take care of weeds in a large brick patio when I was a kid and I remember it was not fun! Today I would just nuke 'em with Round-up)
jmadison (anonymous) says…
Any costs above what it costs to repave a similar stretch of asphalt roadway should be borne by the homeowners who wish to have a brick street in front of their house. The general taxpayer should not have to bear the costs for the few who benefit from the ambience of a brick street.
tony88 (anonymous) says…
jmadison, you don't get it. a new brick street will require very minimal repairs over the next 50-100 years. an asphalt street will require repairs and resurfacing continually throughout that time period. brick streets are much cheaper to maintain, and last about 10 times longer. the general taxpayer will be benefited financially by the use of brick streets.
tony88 (anonymous) says…
should i say it one more time in a different way? when the city builds something, it is only common sense to build something that will last. you know? like when you build a house, if it's build poorly and with bad materials, it will deteriorate quickly. if you use good materials and build it well, it will last longer. i feel like i'm trying to explain this to homer simpson.
doc1 (anonymous) says…
jrlii. Pennsylvania street is a dump where drug dealers thrive. Why would they want to waste money on replacing the bricks on that street.
jmadison (anonymous) says…
When Winter Park FL replaced a brick street, they had to hire a crew from South America to do the work in a proper fashion because no locals had the expertise to perform the job in a satisfactory fashion. Are there local construction outfits that know how to do this job, especially in Lawrence which has much more problems with frost heave and changes related to winter weather?
jg (anonymous) says…
I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but " Pennsylvania street is a dump where drug dealers thrive. Why would they want to waste money on replacing the bricks on that street"
is so obviously deranged that I can't help myself.
Plenty of nice people who pay taxes and work to take care of their homes live on Penn street, and in fact Bo Harris is about to spend millions to build a whole "live work play" complex there. Maybe you should try actually going east of Mass sometime.....
oldgoof (anonymous) says…
answer = special revenue districts
Godot (anonymous) says…
tony88, the brick streets are a nightmare. The ground is constantly shifting in Lawrence. The ground heaves and bucklles; when there are bricks on top, the terrain is incredibly rough. The city owed my friend redress; the city refused to accept responsibility for its failure to provide a road that was safe to walk upon.
Godot (anonymous) says…
tony88, brick streets require constant repair. Constant. They are incredibly unstable. The bricks might survive for 50 years, but, in short time, the road becomes a mess. The bricks simply become an obstacle, an article in the road that will damage a vehicle or a person.
Dracul (Bill Chapman) says…
Actually if the brick street is constructed correctly, it should require very little repair. The problem really lies in the type of traffic that passes over the street. A brick street should NOT have any ting heavier than a full size pick-up truck driven on it, and should NEVER have anything heavier than a four door car parked on the side of the street for long periods of time.
The difficulty in replacing/ repairing the street is making sure that who ever does the job, does it right - without taking any shortcuts.
Asphalt streets can actually deform under heavy loads during the summer due to the heat. This the prime reason for the "ripples" at stop signs/ lights - when someone brakes their car for the light the increased wheel to road friction applies force to the asphalt. In the summer heat, it slowly causes the street to form "ripples". The heavier the vehicle, the faster the asphalt will deform - this also works for parked vehicles as well.
A concrete base will slow this, and the asphalt will help protect the concrete from water damage. But if the concrete is not thick enough for the loads run across it, it will crack under the asphalt and then water can seep into the crack and freeze. This breaks the concrete further and causes pot holes. Ground washed out by heavy water flows can also cause this cycle to occur.
Most of the problems a concrete/ asphalt road has are due to the thickness of the concrete and the gravel under layer.
Brick streets allow the water to seep through the sand under the brick, and into the gravel underlayer. For this reason brick streets tend to have less problem with frozen water.
Dracul (Bill Chapman) says…
Laying asphalt over a brick street is not a good idea. Because the water can pass through the street, it also allows the water to evaporate back out. Laying asphalt creates a water barrier, causing water to condense between the brick ad the asphalt. When this freezes, it pushes the brick down and breaks the asphalt creating a nasty pot hole.