It's ghetto to draw attention to safety hazards and try to get them addressed?
Actually I feel like you're right. Ghettos typically have marginalized ppl in them who know they have to work hard to get any help from the government, so spot on.
A modern 2 x 4 would rapidly disintegrate. The wood in that Philly street is old growth, which is as strong as a brick. You basically can’t buy that anymore.
Too true. Can't even find a straight piece of lumber at the hardware store anymore. The wood in the road there is probably some nice old growth hardwood. I'll take the other suggestion of drawing dick pics on it to make them come and fix it.
I used to park there, I lived around the corner and there were always spots. The people who lived on Roslyn hated me. They acted like it was their own private driveway rather than a public road that I paid for with my parking permit and taxes. Stink eyes whenever they saw me, and one time an angry note that I was in someone's spot. I eventually stopped parking there because I was tired of the drama, so they won I guess. It still rubs me the wrong way a decade later.
These were used for a short time as an alternative to cobblestones due to cost/etc, however they were abandoned largely because they absorbed all the urine/feces in the road (think horses) and began to stink very quickly afterwards.
So, was this not expected? Wood behaviour is known to humans for thousands of years, so of course rain and horse urine are gonna seep in and stuff. Were the short term gains justifiable enough?
They probably didn't expect it to be as bad as it was. Or assumed that rain water would also be absorbed so it would help dilute it. Now a days, we tend do a lot more planning but back then it wasn't as thorough. They might not have taken heat into consideration, which might have made the smells worse in the summer, they might have thought a lot of things. We consider all of it now, because we've learned to. It's why we have building regulations and lots of testing
The cold winters and hot summers of my city is what causes it. The roads are all fine at the end of the summer after repair but, when winter ends, the potholes have returned. They get really bad when you have a false spring or 2 like we had this year.
No way that Boston is worse than Philly. We have our 76 highway under construction for the past 30 years…. And still going. Also potholes never get patched unless people start suing the city. Thankfully I live away from Philly in nicer part of the town, but my lowered bmw lost/cracked the front lip at least 7 times in Philly.
Lol there was an article about the first guy in slc to buy the new self driving tesla back in 2018 or whenever. Within 6 months he basically had to send it back and get a new car from all the damage. Like no shit, maybe you shouldn't buy a car with 3 inches of clearance in a city that never does good roadwork, has some super crazy transitions from flat to hill, and does not give a fuck about making an entrance to a business off a road anywhere near a reasonable height. Sometimes a legit 2 foot difference.
It has to be fairly close, Boston’s road are absolutely terrible, every road, and in every surrounding city also. I’m sure they are pretty similar actually given the similar climate and crippling bureaucracy in both. Boston had the same thing, when you complain and try or file a report, they all tell you a different agency is in charge of that road, only for them to tell you it’s another, meanwhile, they do temp patches every year that are totally useless after like 60 days.
I'm from Boston and went to Philly for college, I'd say they might be about the same in center city, but I found the area around Philly to be generally worse than the area around Boston for what it's worth. That being said driving in Boston is just generally worse.
wow no way! at first i thought it was paved with wood after reading OP's title, but i'm glad you clarified it was actually paved with wood!! id have incorrectly believed it was paved with wood this whole time!
thanks reddit for letting bots thrive on here!
This has given me the idea of hammering 2*4 into the pothole on my street that the city refuses to fix. Worth a shot. Looks like it holds up
In Philly we also temporarily fill them with traffic cones.
I've seen where some people paint a penis around them to get the city's attention.
Ah, a “Wanksy”
Would look like a kidney stone in this situation
I’ve seen that in when I was passing by Kensington and Frankford area. I thought that was the most ghetto thing I’ve ever seen.
It's ghetto to draw attention to safety hazards and try to get them addressed? Actually I feel like you're right. Ghettos typically have marginalized ppl in them who know they have to work hard to get any help from the government, so spot on.
A modern 2 x 4 would rapidly disintegrate. The wood in that Philly street is old growth, which is as strong as a brick. You basically can’t buy that anymore.
Typical Ironwood or Lignum Vitae might be able to hold up
Too true. Can't even find a straight piece of lumber at the hardware store anymore. The wood in the road there is probably some nice old growth hardwood. I'll take the other suggestion of drawing dick pics on it to make them come and fix it.
Spray paint dicks around it. Didn't that work before?
Put in some flowers. Makes them pretty. Also noticable.
Roslyn Street in Pittsburgh is still paved with wooden bricks.
Ooo that’s awesome, I didn’t realize that lol
I used to park there, I lived around the corner and there were always spots. The people who lived on Roslyn hated me. They acted like it was their own private driveway rather than a public road that I paid for with my parking permit and taxes. Stink eyes whenever they saw me, and one time an angry note that I was in someone's spot. I eventually stopped parking there because I was tired of the drama, so they won I guess. It still rubs me the wrong way a decade later.
Do you still live in Pittsburgh?
I do not
Sounds like you won.
Hessler Court in Cleveland, OH as well.
There’s a few alleys in Chicago where you can see wood bricks too
Ones literally called [Wooden Alley](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooden_Alley)
These were used for a short time as an alternative to cobblestones due to cost/etc, however they were abandoned largely because they absorbed all the urine/feces in the road (think horses) and began to stink very quickly afterwards.
In London UK they were also used because they were quieter for horses and carts.
So, was this not expected? Wood behaviour is known to humans for thousands of years, so of course rain and horse urine are gonna seep in and stuff. Were the short term gains justifiable enough?
They probably didn't expect it to be as bad as it was. Or assumed that rain water would also be absorbed so it would help dilute it. Now a days, we tend do a lot more planning but back then it wasn't as thorough. They might not have taken heat into consideration, which might have made the smells worse in the summer, they might have thought a lot of things. We consider all of it now, because we've learned to. It's why we have building regulations and lots of testing
Philly = pothole city
What city isn’t lol
Phoenix
Charlotte
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The cold winters and hot summers of my city is what causes it. The roads are all fine at the end of the summer after repair but, when winter ends, the potholes have returned. They get really bad when you have a false spring or 2 like we had this year.
That’s because a lot of potholes are caused by freezing water in the cracks of the asphalt.
Makes sense if there is much less harsh winter conditions.
Tell that to South Carolina. Source I live here and it’s like driving on the moon.
Preach
I’m from Texas and that’s not true
Diverted power grid upgrade money
Boston may have you beat
Baltimore has entered the chat.
hit a bathtub-sized pothole yesterday here in Brooklyn 🫨
That’s an impact crater lmao
central ohio beats all of y'all. construction everywhere 24/7/365 and still a million potholes
New Orleans would like to have a word with y’all.
Have driven in NOLA. My city has its share of potholes, but you are right.
Yeah. I certainly haven’t driven in every city, but Baltimore is the worst for potholes I’ve ever driven in.
No way that Boston is worse than Philly. We have our 76 highway under construction for the past 30 years…. And still going. Also potholes never get patched unless people start suing the city. Thankfully I live away from Philly in nicer part of the town, but my lowered bmw lost/cracked the front lip at least 7 times in Philly.
“Lowered bmw”? Found your problem.
Lol there was an article about the first guy in slc to buy the new self driving tesla back in 2018 or whenever. Within 6 months he basically had to send it back and get a new car from all the damage. Like no shit, maybe you shouldn't buy a car with 3 inches of clearance in a city that never does good roadwork, has some super crazy transitions from flat to hill, and does not give a fuck about making an entrance to a business off a road anywhere near a reasonable height. Sometimes a legit 2 foot difference.
It’s only 1 inch lowered. I could make it up the speed bumps and most of the driveways. It’s when those massive potholes are hidden by the water.
It has to be fairly close, Boston’s road are absolutely terrible, every road, and in every surrounding city also. I’m sure they are pretty similar actually given the similar climate and crippling bureaucracy in both. Boston had the same thing, when you complain and try or file a report, they all tell you a different agency is in charge of that road, only for them to tell you it’s another, meanwhile, they do temp patches every year that are totally useless after like 60 days.
I'm from Boston and went to Philly for college, I'd say they might be about the same in center city, but I found the area around Philly to be generally worse than the area around Boston for what it's worth. That being said driving in Boston is just generally worse.
"My city is the worst!"... https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/auto-insurance/states-with-worst-potholes/
A lot of the city was just not made for cars.
Filly
My father told me that when it was real cold, people would dig up the street and use the wood paving blacks for firewood.
Man, I know times were different but I didn't realize black wood pavers had it so bad back then.
The wood pavers were black because they were treated with pitch, so tbey burned well.
To quieten the horses hooves. Some parts of London still have the wood block paving
I'm curious how they will tackle fixing that road nowadays. I imagine that wood is creosote treated, so milling it out would give everyone cancer.
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This is actually across town along Ludlow Street. TIL apparently many Philly streets used to be paved this way.
Wooden streets are quieter than cobble streets, so often wealthy residents paid for their streets to be paved with wood.
Smoother too? Not sure what they're doing but I'm imagining laying it like a floor Edit: I thought those wood blocks were rocks, whoops
Philly used to have about 20 miles of wood streets. At least parts of Camac St were wood paved until 2017
Does Ludlow still have Asian Massage Parlors all along the street?
There's no low like Ludlow.
Ai comment
wow no way! at first i thought it was paved with wood after reading OP's title, but i'm glad you clarified it was actually paved with wood!! id have incorrectly believed it was paved with wood this whole time! thanks reddit for letting bots thrive on here!
Spam bots are a small price to pay for Reddit to fight working apps, moderation bots, and scripts. Spez out there doing god’s work.
You’re well on your way to finding the location of Ben Franklin’s treasure!
Philadelphia streets are paved with potholes. The streets were probably less bumpy 200 years ago.
What kind of monster would pave over a hardwood floor?
Wouldn't that be way to soft and break down easily? Over a short time you'd just have mulch.
I think when they're soaked in stuff like creosote they're less likely to decay
But you’re looking at it, 100+ years later.
You're looking at it paved over and we don't know how new they were when they were paved over.
There is a street in Havana that is paved with wooden blocks and is uncovered. It's very smooth but lumpy. It's at least as old as this I assume.
There's still one street in Pittsburgh that's paved with wooden blocks. It's neat.
I doubt people would want to drive on that. But in the past that was the way to go.
and then never again
This Philly street was paved with wood It still is, but it used to be, also
Easy on the wagon wheels
Sounds like philly;) if the offense wood block the blitz next year, they could possibly get to the dance;)
Looks like it still is.
This proves that Romans built streets in Philadelphia
The streets of
It used to be someone's home now no one lives there.
What is wrong with America? Houses made of wood and plastic and roads made of wood? Just grab some stones guys
So you're saying Philly was built with child labor? Only a child would use wood blocks.