1923 Planning Board Report-Proposed Additional East-West Through Streets and Diagonals

In the wide interspaces between the existing east-west thoroughfares there are many local streets already built, and many more contemplated or actually under construction. Gradually, in a long term of years, all these wild lands will be traversed by roads as the population of the Town increases. These roads will be built by private initiative in order to provide access to parcels of land which will be lotted and sold by private individuals. It is for the interest of these individuals to make the access to the lots as attractive as possible to purchasers. Purchasers desire from the Town adequate fire protection, water supply, sewer connection, and policing. The Town can supply these needs most promptly and most cheaply on the basis of a convenient system of main thoroughfares designed to accomplish these ends and to provide the transportation facilities which are involved. It is not necessary for the Town, however, to secure these economical and desirable streets at once by actual purchase and construction. On the contrary, it is only necessary for the Town to guide the development of the streets which are in any case to be built as a result of the private activities described above. Gradually the Town can bring into existence by a policy of guiding, and without extra cost either to the individuals or to the Town, a system of through streets planned at the start to give the best possible service to the occupants of the land. At the same time this service would be rendered at the least cost to the Town and would advance the most satisfactory growth of the community as a whole. It is the function of Town Planning to secure these desirable and important ends in this efficient way, but the matter must be taken in hand promptly, otherwise the work cannot be carried out well or at little cost. The accompanying plan of the Town shows the opportunity to create by this gradual process in a field already occupied by many small local street schemes and already open to private land subdivision, a system of eight additional east-west thoroughfares and diagonals, making, with the four which now exist, a total of twelve thoroughfares and diagonals. These twelve east-west thoroughfares and diagonals when combined with the ten north-south through streets and diagonals would create a system of thoroughfares crossing the Town at sufficient intervals to accommodate through and local traffic in all quarters and to permit the extension of utilities and public services at a minimum cost. (See general plan for Town at end of report.)