The Mayor’s Pavement Panic: Tacoma’s Roads Crumbling Before Christmas
Mayor Campbell warns that streets paved less than a year ago are already failing, demanding better materials before the holiday rush.
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MAYOR CAMPBELL WANTS BETTER PAVED STREETS Tacoma's Chief Executive Discusses Paving—St. Helen's Avenue in Urgent Need of Repair
The St. Helena avenue pavement, laid less than a year ago, is fast wearing out. The original smooth surface has crumbled and worn. Urgent need for repairs on the street is even now felt.
"The paving was laid about eight or nine months ago," said Mayor Campbell this morning, "and was strongly recommended by citizens at the time. The same kind of pavement was laid on the south end of Pacific avenue and it, too, has not stood the wear that it should.
"The company that laid the pavement should be held responsible for any more pavements put down. This question should be settled before any more pavements are laid."
The mayor insisted that the pavement on St. Helena Avenue must be as good as the day it was laid. He asked, "Why not hereafter use a pavement that has proven to be a success in our city, as that which is laid on North Fourth street and Tacoma avenue? The latter has been in use about eleven years and is as good as the day it was laid."
In an era before modern asphalt standards, Tacoma’s infrastructure was fragile, with streets crumbling within months of installation. This 1908 complaint mirrors today's ongoing battles over pothole repairs, road maintenance funding, and the tension between short-term political wins and long-term civic durability.
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