Cul-de-sacs — dead-end streets with a turnaround for cars — have their faults but they have become more unpopular than justified, says the American Society of Planning Officials. Originally cul-de-sacs gained acceptance because they enhanced privacy and safety by eliminating fast-moving, through traffic from residential areas. But lately, according to the society, many municipal departments have grown to dislike this street with a twist at the dead-end.

The firemen say they can't maneuver their engines and ladder trucks easily enough on a cul-de-sac. Furthermore, fire hydrants are usually located on the major street instead of the cul-de-sac and firemen say water pressure is reduced too much when they have to use fire hose long enough to reach all the way in.

Other disadvantages cited are: That collection of garbage and trash and delivery of mail and goods are made inefficient by the necessity of retracing steps on a cul-de-sac, that local traffic is doubled when all cars enter and leave at the same place, and that there can be no way out if the single entrance is blocked by fallen tree or some other obstruction.

In a "Planning Brief" on the subject, the society says that some defects in cul-de-sacs "may be deterrents to their use but others ran be rectified and do not present insuperable difficulties." For instance: Room for fire-fighting equipment and other trucks to turn in will be sufficient in most cases if a minimum standard for the width of the turn-around

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* Reprinted from Western City, January 1956.

area is 100 feet from outer curb to outer curb.

Part of the water-pressure trouble can be met by limiting the length of a cul-de-sac. A number of cities have done this, usually setting the limit at between 300 and 500 feet. A common subdivision regulation is to set 500 feet as the maximum length for dead-end streets, with a minimum width of 40 feet.

Other advantages to limiting the length are that it will then be hard for cars to build up high speeds and also to some extent it will encourage drivers to wait to turn until they get to the end instead of pulling in a private driveway in the middle of the block. Difficulties in keeping dead-end water mains in good working order can be solved if they are located at the rear easement of the property instead of under the street. This practice also permits underground repairs without blocking traffic.