The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-06-10
REPORT OF BOARD OF STREET
COMMISSIONERS.
no rnn CoMMoN CouNcIL


ever plans they may adopt; looking to the per-
manent improvement OF all the roadways in the
city within reasonable time and at a reason
able cost"
Here your Board met with a difficulty at the
outstart; there was nothing on record by which
we could learn OF tho actual length OF all the
public roadways within the city, and to incur
the expense OF survey OF the more outlying
streets seemed not within the spirit of the or,
dinance. within reasonable time" your
Board construed to mean between ten and
twenty years. A reasonable cost" to mean
from forty to fifty thousand dollars; and All
the roadways OF the city," to mean SO much as
is likely to need paving within the time mentioned
with this view OF the case we made an exami-
nation OF the principal thoroughfares OF the
city, measuring such as were not shown on the
city map.
street, north of Jefferson, be paved on one side
only for width of twenty feet from the curb
next the improved properties, until such time
as the improvements will warrant paving the
full width OF the street.
We further recommend that two classes OF
paving, differing only IN depth or thickness, be
used; the class to depend on the kind and am
cunt OF traffic to which Ii will be subject. We
find by consultation with tho City Engineer
that the expense OF grading would be tri1ing,
nearly all the streets likely to be paved within
the time mentioned having been brought to
proper grade, little being required in that direc-
ton further than the excavation necessary for
the paving.
We further find that there are ak and two
tenths ca miles OF Streets ranging in width from
twenty to thrty-fye feet between curbs, making
an aggregate roadway surface OF $3.50 square
yards. OF this there are already paved on Union,
Bridge and Main streets 9, 1850 square yards leav-
ing %, GOO square yards TO be paved.
With these figures before us, your Board at
once decided that to satisfy the wants of the
city, and make the necessary progress, the price
must average less than one dollar per square
yard There are but three well known kinds of
street paving which come within this figure,
| viz : cobble, rubble and Macadam in some OF
their various forms. The first two being rough
and noisy were decided as unsuitable and were
not seriously considered by your Board.
With view to proflting by the experience of
| others, we correspondent with the authorities of
| several small towns and cities, and made visits
to others, consulted with their officers and ex-
amined their streets. Wo find some variety of
Macadam to be generally In use in cities of tho
size OF Lambertvile; also, in the suburban parts
OF Philadelphia, such as Germantown and Chest
nut Hill, Macadam has been recommended by
experts and is the pavement generally used.
With the foregoing facts before us your Board
would recommend Macadam pavements for all
The stone to be of hard trap rock broken by n
crusher and divided into three sizes by a sepa-
rator as they come from the machine. The lar
gest size TO DC from two to three inches, the
next from one to two inches, and the third the
screenings. Tho heavier pavement should be
put down In three layers, each four ~ inches In
depth ut the middle of the street, the largest
size below, and the thickness SO graded as to
give total OF eight (s) inches in depth at tho
cutters; Each layer to be we'll rolled. The gut
inches with hard bricks, to give free flow for
water; the bricks to be set on their edges. As
rule no street should be paved until tho curb
stones are properly set to the grade and line as
given by the City Engineer.
All paving should have rise above the top OF
curbs OF one inch to every five feet in width be-
tween eurbs, and slope by the arc of circle to
about The same distance below tho tep of eurbs
at the gutters that is, thirty foot street should
nave q rise OF twelve inches from the gutter to
the middle of the street.
ri NJ at,lr ,l.,. rtx.,.
| should BIO given by the City Engineer, and the
grading done carefully, 80 that the proper depth
OF stone may be secured at all points. We esti
mate the cost of this will not exceed seventy (7O)
cents per square yard. including excavation.
We would recommend that the heavier pave.
ment, as specified above, be used on the follow.
| ing streets, viz: On Union from Bridge street
| to the stone bridge north of Mr.. Flnney's Spoke
Works; on Main from the Rubber Mill to Cherry
street, with width as heretofore recommended
| OF twenty feet north OF Jefferson street: Bridge
| street from tho Delaware river to Nam street,
and York street from Union to Main.
depth OF from six to eight inches at the CEN
tire would serve the purpose OF all other road
| ways and 1t will probably be found advisable
IN the future to pave for width OF only sixteen
or eighteen feet in the middle OF some streets.
me approximate cost OF paving all tho streets
| is FIFTY Thousand (50,000) Dollars.
FOR the hrst year we would recommend that
| the present paving on Bridge, Main and Union
streets be thoroughly repaired, and that IL be
continued to completion on Bridge street from
Lambert to Main street; on Main from Bridge TO
| York street; on York from Main to Union street.
ana on Union from York to Bridge street. Coun.
CHS 10 advertise for sealed proposals for tho
| work, to be done by the square yard, including
| excavation, and to reserve tho right to reject
any or all bids, the contract to include the fol.
| lowing
SPECIFICATIONS.
Inc street to be exeavated to depth of twelve
tl2) inches In the middle and eight Isl inches nj
the sides below the surface OF finished pave
ment The foundation course to be OF trap rock
| or other hard stone, or Stag, broken to size to
pass through a three 90 inch ring, to be dumped
on me streets and evenly spread four "a inches
| curbs The second course to consist OF trap
| rock or other equally hard stone, broken TO a
SIZE OF from one to two inches, to be spread four
~ inches deep In the middle and two (2) inches
deep at the curbs. The top course to be OF trap
rock screenings not exceeding one-half CS) inch
IN size put on in depth sufficient to give the
finished pavement thickness OF twelve (l2)
inches at the centre and eight 49, inches at the
curbs. Each course to be well rolled with roll
or at least three ls) tons In weight. The gut.
ters TO be surfaced with hard burnt arch bricks
set on their edges, and to have a width OF six.
teen inches; care being taken to select bricks
with smooth edges, and to lay them so as to give
free flow for water. All crossing or drain stones
| to be furnished by the city and put In place by
the contractor as tho Board OF Commissi ion ers
may direct. The contractor to keep the street
In passable condition for vehicles, and to be re-
| sponsible for any damage consequent upon the
| prosecution OF the work. The work to be done
| by tho square yard, and payments to be made
each month upon estimates on completed pave
ment only, and twenty (20) per cent. retained
by the city until the completion OF the contract
The whole TO be done to the satisfaction OF the
Board OF Commissioners and their decision to
| be ilnnl IN all cases OF dispute.
Councils should, before asking for bids decide
| where the excavated material is TO be deposited
as upon the length OF haul largely depends the
cost OF the work.
REPAIRS
For repairs to the present Macadam work we
would recommend that the City Engineer be
| be brought up to such grades with finely brok en-
stones or screenings, according as much or little
raise as Is required. Where ruts are TO be filled
u should be done with stones not larger than
one inch, rammcd or rolled down when the
| ground Is very wet, and covered with screen-
| ngs. Where slight rise Is required, over the
whole surface, 1t may be necessary to pick it all
over TO depth of couple of-inches before the
additional covering Is put ON, In order that by
rolling. the top may become united mass. The
street should be cleaned OF all mud, &c. before
| repairs are commenced.
An ample supply OF finely broken stone should
be kept on hand at all times for repairs, and at
tention should be gwen promptly at the fret
discovery OF ruts or depressions.
Assuming that the city will have eight thous.
and (s,0O0) dollars to appropriate towards street
improvements this year, your Board are OF the
opinion that there should be purchased at tho
earliest practicable day. stone crusher, and
engine and boiler suitable TO operate the same
| also, threc-ton roller. These are absolutely
necessary 70 the proper maintenance OF Macad-
amized streets, and cannot be dispensed with,
whether the work contemplated be done by
contract or not. A stone crusher and engine
and roller could probably be purchased and put
| In working order for about two thousand(2 60O)
dollars, and the paving and repairs recommend
ed should not cost more than the remaining six
thousand 10000 dollars.
| We would recommend that an ordinance be
passed prohibiting any person from digging
through or In any way breaking the surface OF a
paved street, except with the consent, and un-
der the direction, OF an authorized agent OF
| Councils.
Committee OF Councils should consult with
the Superintendent OF the Delaware and RarItan
Canal as to the prospect OF getting stone from
Goat Hill. This should be attended to before
bids for paving are asked for.
We are OF the opinion that to obtain the best
results there should be some responsible head
to take charge OF all work TO be done on the
streets. This opinion is confirmed by the expe.
rience OF all the cities we have visited. For this
reason VIC recommend that to the duties OF City
| Engineer there be added that OF Street Com.
missioner, and that he be placed in charge OF all
treetimprovementsa and held responsible for the
| same. That he be empowered 10 employ Fore
man to take active charge OF the work, and to
| dismiss him for cause. The wages or salary to
| be fixed by Councils.
SEWERAGE.
| In the absence Of any fund, present or pros
| pective. likely TO be appropriated for sewerage
| purposes, and as section OF the ordinance I'M