Design, Construction and Maintenance of City Streets

I should like to say now before starting my talk that we, in the Engineering Division of the City of Louisville, are having the same difficulty as Mr. Bray in obtaining sufficient personnel due to the constitutional limitation of $5,000 salary.I am truly sincere when I say that I appreciate the privilege and honor of being one of your speakers at this first Kentucky Highway Conference in these recent years.Nevertheless, I am compelled to admit that I have been constantly wondering what persuaded me to take on this assignment.For as David Lee would say it-'' I am not a good public speaker; I either mumble or yell ; I can't remember funny stories and I couldn't tell them if I did.' ' I don't know anything you don't know about the subject on which I am to speak.Under such circumstances anything I have to say will neither be inspirational, entertaining, nor informative; and I have been info rmed by competent authority that those are the only three excuses for any type of speech.However, I have been in public works engineering for the greater part of my adult life.Please pardon these personal references-but, after graduation here at the University and nearly thirteen years with the Kentucky Department of Highways and seven years with a contractor, I was not in the least hesitant or reluctant in accepting the office of City Engineer of Louisville-a City of about 400,000 population with 11 early 1,100 miles of streets and alleys.The previous experimrne in highway design , construction and maintenance would, in my opinion, fit me perfectly for street and alley design, construction and maintenance.My-oh-My-was not this '' big• boy mowed down'' when he discovered that streets and alleys were in an entirely different category from highways.'!'rue, the fundamental mathematics and science were applicable; but many outside factors from true science to a great extent control street design and maintenance.