The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-06
STREETS OF THE DISTRICT
A System of Highway Improve
ment Giving Good Results.
The Engineer Department Taking
Care of 279 Miles of Roads-How
the Paving and Repairs Are Done
The Appropriations Insufficient.

One of the chief points of attractive
) ness in the city of Washington is it.
well-paved streets. From small begin
. nings, under the rule of Ex-Governor Shep
herd, has grown an intricate network OF
asphalt pavements which now practically
! cover the city. That is to say. there are
, main thoroughfares running into all sec
tions Of the city, and from these cross
streets and extensions radiate until 1t is
. possible for almost anyone in any part OF
Washington to reach the Capitol on well
paved streets without making any long
detour.
Together with the evolution of the
streets has been evolved a system of eX-
tension and improvement which allows
the Engineer Department to extend the
pavements in regular order. As result
of this policy and method there is no
patchwork of paving so common in other
cities There are no detached pieces of
paving but all is united into a regular
system connected with the centre of the
city The money available for some years
p.st- has not been sufficient for the
growth of the streets and the city, but
with the means at its disposal the En-
gineer Department has gone on gradually
extending the pavements. without being
tempted to place improvements on subur-
ban streets until the regular system
should reach there.
At the time of the last annual report
there were in the District under the care
of the Engineer Department 2I9.32 miles
| of streets. OF these 0S.3S miles We're
covered with asphalt, 1926 miles were
improved with a covering of coal tar ana
concrete. II. SO miles were asphalt piock'
O52 mile was vitrified block, ana zhos
| miles we're of granite block. There We're
IL .O1 miles of cobble pavement, $40 miles
of macadam, and 81 81 miles of gravel
and unimproved roads. The problem,
therefore. confronting the Engineer De-
partment is to take care of 2'9 miles OF
| streets. 1is miles of which are yet to be
/ improved with modern paving.
| The work on the streets naturally dl-
yides itself into two classes, that OF re-
pairs and of new paving, and Congress
| makes appropriations each year Tor each
of these The appropriations for the cur
rent fiscal year for Improvement ana re-
pairs was s200, 900, while special appropria-
lions for the paving of new streets as-
gregated s65, 600 After the various Items
of repairs are looked after, the depart
ment is enabled to use part OF each
annual appropriation in extending the
mileage of paved streets. This latter WORK
is done according to schedule OF I'M
provement submitted to Congress with
each book of estimates. According to the
schedule submitted for the present fiscal
year improvements to the amount of
$3.50 200 were estimated upon and recon-
mended In Georgetown there were i'm
provements proposed aggregating $4,000,
in the northwest section S233,SQ0t in the
southwest section sl04,2 200. in the south
east section S105, 100, and in the northeast
section $142 600. Congress appropriated
100000 to be apportioned among the sec
tions named at the discretion of the Com |
missioners. The policy pursued is to ap-
portion the amount of the appropriation |
pro rata among the sections named and |
then to improve the streets In their or |
der upon the schedule as far as the money |
goes.
Under this arrangement the northwest |
section will receive 100000 yards of new |
paving the southwest section Cos, 600 yards, |
the southeast section $4,000 yards, the
northeast section $4,000 yards George
town 290001 yards, and the suburban por
lions of the District $4,000 yards. In this
way the improvement of streets goes on
as rapidly as possible under the appro-
priations granted. The present schedule |
of streets upon which improy ements are
made from year TO year is about four
years old, and for three years past no
IL
Commissioners decided three years ago
that IL would be more business-liKe to |
have the date upon which street is rec
commended for improvement and the ac-
tual Improvement upon the same more |
nearly together. So that when the pres
en-. schedule is exhausted a less number
of streets viii be recommended for i'm
provement each year with view to keep
ing the schedule clear.
he first paVements were laid In Wash
1n8ton under what was termed the permit
system. That is, the owners OF property
asked for the improvement and were
permitted to have II done, the abutting
property being assessed for the cost. This
was found to work SLOWLY. as the major
ity of property holders would not take
the initiative. The next step was what
was termed in law compulsory permit,
which amounted to the Improvement of
streets by the assessment system, as the |
District authorities decided upon the i'm |
provement, made 1t. and assessed the |
cost Fupon the adjoining property. Later
q change was effected to the present sys-
TEN, under which the municipality makes |
the improvement and pays for IT out of |
the appropriation made specifically for
the purpose.
street, 1t may be assumed that the water
mains, sewers, electric conduits, etc, |
have been laid. Preparatory to the lay
Ing of the pavement the street curbs are |
relaid, and If necessary replaced with
better material. Brick cutters are laid,
and If the property owners desire 1t new |
,
same time. The sidewalk and the relay
ing of the curb is assessed against the
abutting property. All this work, includ-
ing the paving is done according to
specifications carefully worked out in the
Engineer Department and no part of the
work is entrusted TO incompetent hands. |
This ensures uniformity in curbs, cutters, |
Davements, and sidewalks in all parts of |
he city. The general rule for paving {
mas been asphalt for all common streets.
asphalt block for certain avenues, granite | :
block for streets where the grade re- | \
Iuires IL, and where there is heavy haul
ng. and macadam where the other kinds
If paving are not at present available.
The present policy of the department is :
% use only sheet asphalt and asphalt
block for the paving Of streets, and dur I
ng the past two years, including ire :
present fiscal year, this has been adhered 7
%. The plan of the department is 20 :
all other kinds OF pavement
With asphalt and to use the discarded
granite for covering the sides of suburban |
streets in the manner of the Benning
Road pavement, and to use ths cobble and
I'D curbing for -nacadam or the concrete
,ase of the asphalt streets. /
Sheet asphalt, as well as the asphalt | {
flock is laid by contract at a cost of
! 70 a square yard for sheet asphalt and
1 II for asphalt block The contracts for {
aying this pavement are made at so q
much a square yard in any part of the q
ty, and in practice the work Is divided .
Detween two local contractors. They are =
lot given the several streets as specific :
obs, but are under contract TO pave ! !
wherever they may be called upon, at
he price named PEI yard. This form of .
contract enables the department to lay E
,aving anywhere at viii, without any
opposition from the contractor. In this
way they have a free hand to extend the
ystem of paved streets by adding lit
lie here and little there. where 1t is (