EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1915. OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, To the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of The Commissioners of the District of Columbia herewith submit for the information of Congress, pursuant to the requirements of section 12 of an act providing a permanent form of government for the District of Columbia, approved June 11, 1878 (20 U. S. Stats., 108), a report of the official doings of that government for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1915. The accompanying table shows the area in square yards of new roadway pavements laid and old roadway pavements resurfaced during the year, with a total in square yards and miles of the various kinds of pavements at the close of the fiscal year. Comparative statement showing character and extent of roadway pavements. 1 Includes 24,409.91 square yards of asphalt surface laid on old base. The sums appropriated for expenditures during the year under this head were as follows: For paving new roadways and repairing old roadway pavements.. For the construction and repair of suburban roads.. For grading streets, avenues, and alleys..... Sheet asphalt has continued to be the material used most extensively in roadway paving, 63,504 square yards of new work of this class being laid. Concrete roadway has been laid where traffic conditions were not too severe. No asphalt block pavement was laid during the year. Broken stone quarried at the District workhouse at Occoquan, Va., was used in laying concrete base where such use proved practicable and economical. The contracts for this work provided that such stone should be furnished contractors at an agreed price per cubic yard delivered on wharves at Washington. The prices paid under contract for roadways pavements during the year were as follows: Per square Laying sheet-asphalt pavement (24-inch asphalt surface, 2-inch binder, before compression), with 6-inch concrete base... yard. Laying vitrified-block gutters, with 6-inch concrete base.. $1.78 Laying asphaltic concrete pavement (2 inches thick after compression) on broken-stone base... Laying asphaltic concrete pavement (2 inches thick after compression), on 6inch concrete base... 1.35 1.70 .96 The prices for the fiscal year 1916 are as follows: Laying vitrified block, with 6-inch concrete base. Laying sheet-asphalt pavement (24-inch asphalt surface, 2-inch binder, before compression), with 6-inch concrete base.. $1.49 Laying sheet-asphalt pavement (24-inch asphalt surface, 2-inch binder, before compression), with 5-inch concrete base.. 1. 23 1. 43 1. 15 .90 Laying vitrified block, with 5-inch concrete base. Allowance for stone furnished by District of Columbia: On barges alongside District wharf, per cubic yard. .75 The current prices for resurfacing and repairing asphalt pavements under a contract for a period of two years beginning July 1, 1914, are as follows: Per square yard. Laying sheet-asphalt pavement (24-inch asphalt surface, 2-inch binder before Laying asphalt binder (for repairs and miscellaneous work, cuts, etc.), per Laying sheet-asphalt for repairs, etc., within the space required by law to be Laying asphaltic concrete pavement (2-inch asphalt concrete surface after com- Especial attention was given to the repair of the macadamized trunk highways leading out of the city to the boundary lines of the District. Bladensburg Road, North Capitol Street, Georgia Avenue, Park Road, Sherman Avenue, and Connecticut Avenue were almost completely resurfaced. Extensive repairs were made to Nichols Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, Michigan Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, Belt Road, Massachusettts Avenue, and Canal Road. The reconstruction of Daniels Road was finished. The annual cost for the repair and dust prevention of macadamized roads averages about 10 cents per square yard. The approximate cost per square yard for resurfacing macadamized roadways where not too badly worn, including the average cost of grading, is as follows, this work being done by day labor: Per square yard. For resurfacing with water-bound macadam with 2 to 3 inches of stone.. $0. 20–$0.30 This lasts with patching and surface treatment from 1 to 3 years, depending on the traffic. For resurfacing with bituminous macadam on the old stone base, 2 to 3 inch layer... Life probably at least 5 years, with some repair. .50 For resurfacing with bituminous concrete on the old stone base, 2-inch layer... 1.30 Life unknown, probably 10 to 12 years, depending on base. 1.05 For laying new bituminous concrete or standard sheet asphalt on concrete base, about. 1.90 Life of surface about 20 years; of base, indefinite. Approximately $33,000 was expended during the year for surface treatments of roads with tar and oil to prevent dust and $2,400 for watering streets not reached by surface treatments. By the District appropriation act for the fiscal year 1915, approved July 21, 1914, one-half the cost of laying a new pavement or resurfacing a roadway, where the material used is sheet asphalt, asphalt block, asphaltic or bituminous macadam, concrete, or other fixed roadway pavement, is assessed against the abutting property to the extent of a 40-foot roadway. There is excepted from this assessment the cost of the excess of roadway over 40 feet in width, the cost of street intersections, and the cost of work within the space for which street railway companies are responsible; that is, the space between the rails and tracks and 2 feet exterior to the outer rails on each side. The abutting property is not assessed, however, for the expense of maintenance and repairs to roadways nor for a resurfaced roadway pavement unless it is necessary to completely resurface the roadway for a length of one block. No assessment is levied for a water-bound macadam roadway, this not being in the category of fixed roadway pavements. MUNICIPAL ASPHALT PLANT. The portable municipal plant, the purchase and operation of which was authorized in the appropriation acts for the fiscal years 1913 and 1914, was operated during the year with continued success. The law authorizing this plant required that the work done by it should be economically performed as compared with similar work previously done under contract. The plant is operated under the immediate direction of the commissioners in resurfacing and repairs of asphalt pavements and the repairing of macadam streets by the construction of asphalt macadam wearing surrface thereon. The plant was operated 240 working days, with an average daily output of 725 cubic feet. The total output during the year was 174,300 cubic feet. Old material is used to a large extent in the man ufacture of the output, and the quality of the material produced is very satisfactory. The cost of the product laid on the streets, as compared with the contract price of a similar product, is as follows: The total cost of minor repairs to sheet asphalt pavements during the year was $41,095.95, which is at the rate of $0.018 per square yard. This cost represents the maintenance of all asphalt pavements which are not under guaranty by contractors, the total yardage of which is 2,282,250. SIDEWALKS AND ALLEYS. The sum of $220,000 was appropriated for the paving of sidewalks and alleys and in addition the sum of $10,000 for laying sidewalks and curbs around Government reservations and buildings. Sidewalks are paved with cement and alleys with vitrified brick or asphalt block. Thirty-two thousand one hundred and six square yards of vitrified block and 14,756 square yards of asphalt-block pavement were laid in alleys, both on a gravel base. Fifty-eight thousand one hundred and forty-four square yards of cement sidewalk were laid. One-half the cost of curbs and of sidewalk and alley paving is assessed against the abutting property. No assessment is levied for the sidewalks, alleys, and curbs laid adjacent to public reservations. Cement sidewalks are laid under contract, and alleys are paved by day labor. The contract prices paid for laying cement sidewalks during the year were as follows: For large jobs adjoining paved streets, per square yard.. $0.96 For large jobs adjoining unpaved streets and for all small jobs, per square yard. 1. 16 For the fiscal year 1916 the prices are as follows: For large jobs adjoining paved streets, per square yard.... $0.95 For large jobs adjoining unpaved streets and for all small jobs, per square yard. 1. 15 The initiative in the matter of paving sidewalks and alleys is generally left with the owners of abutting property, the commissioners requiring a majority petition for such work before it is ordered. Exceptions are made, however, in cases where, on account of public danger or other public reason, the paving is demanded. The law requires the commissioners to advertise for two weeks their intention to lay sidewalks and curbs and to pave alleys and to give a hearing to the property owners affected. The work is ordered subsequent to such hearing when, in the opinion of the commissioners, it is necessary for the public safety, health, comfort, and convenience. The demand for this class of construction is constant, and increased appropriations for this work could advantageously be expended. |