jsc wrote:regrettably, I don't know the answers to your questions. as for the texture of the pavers, they are supposed to look very much like the cobblestones but without the dis-advantage of the stones loosening during the frost and coming out creating huge potholes. Cobblestones (or more properly Belgan Building Blocks) can be very smooth when properly maintained. Heavy trucks also help dislodge the stones on Germantown Ave. Really, it seems like a good, innovative solution; the community likes the look of the building blocks but the city cannot afford to pay to keep them in pristine shape all the time. This may be a good balance. Give it a chance.
I will grant you that properly-maintained belgian block can be smooth(ish), but they will never be as smooth as modern paving methods. For example, I live on what I consider one of the worse-maintained roads in Northwest Philly... the asphalt is cracked, there are potholes and patches all over, and manholes are at different altitudes than the roadway. It's still a smoother ride than driving on the cobblestones on even the best-maintained portion of Germantown Avenue. The only reason to hang on to them, then, is their aesthetic appeal; they add a charming appearance to any street and perfectly offset the historic structures all along the road. Unless the conrete version is a very close approximation, it will have the ultimate effect of being like a diner-block patch applied to one of the area's century-old stone houses -- it will just look tacky.
I am willing to give them a chance, but surely you can understand my trepidation.
Heading somewhere close to topic again, though, does anyone know how the rails will be rebuilt? Will it be replaced as-is, or with an upgrade to modern light rail standards (the latter giving us reason to hope for the future, the former giving us reasons to fear, as they won't spend the money to tear it all up again)?
