STREET (AS. street, from Lat. strata, street, highway, fem. sg. of stratus, p.p. of sternere, Gk. arapcvviivai, arptdvviTat, stri7nnynai, ()Church Slay. streti, Skt. star, Gott:. streujan, 011G. strewen, Ger. streven, AS. streau•ian, streowian, Eng. strew). The term as here used denotes a way for foot and vehicular traffic in cities and other more or less closely inhabited areas.
Some of the points to be observed in planning a city's streets are as follows: The streets should radiate from the principal centre, and sometimes there should be sub-radiations from local centres. This will save time and distance and afford an opportunity for better artistic ef fects in the way of commanding central features, such as puhlic squares, monuments. and buildings, and pleasing vistas. Placing pipes and wires in subways, or underground galleries, is a modern means for relieving overhead congestion. Much relief has been gained in a number of cities by placing the wires in inclosed underground con duits accessible from manholes, or covered cham bers placed sufficiently near together to render street excavations unnecessary. See SLBWAYS; etc.
In building sidewalks care must be taken to secure an unyielding, well-drained foundation, in order to prevent uneven settlement, cracks, or breaks. Boards or planks are generally laid
crosswise of the walk, on longitudinal string pieces, or timbers, designed to keep the boards off the ground and postpone the inevitable de cay. On account of this decay, wooden sidewalks are, in the long run, decidedly uneconomical. Curbstones are from four to six inches thick and deep enough to form the necessary rise above the gutter and to extend into the earth sufficiently to give a firm foundation. They are often set on broken stone, to insure good drainage, or on con crete, to give a solid foundation. They may be of stone or of concrete. Where concrete is used it sometimes extends so as to form the gutter as well, and has the upper and outer edge of the curb protected with an iron bar or rod, imbedded in the concrete.
See BOULEVARDS; ELECTRIC LIGHTING; ELEC TRIC RAILWAYS ; STREET RAILWAY ; GAS ; HEAT ING AND VENTILATION (paragraph Central Heat ing Plants) ; PAVEMENT; ROAD AND STREET .MA CHIN= ; ROAD; SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE; SUB WAYS FOR PIPES AND WIRES; WATER-WORKS; etc.