Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-15
CROSSINGS MADE SAFE
Engineer Wants Grades Out
side City Eliminated.
EARLY ACTION is URGED
Attention Called to Takoma Park
and Benning.
LUMP SUM FOR COUNTRY ROADS
Single Appropriation Recommended
Analogous to Paving Plan Follow
ed in the City Limits.

In his annual report submitted 20 the
| Commissioners today c. b. Hunt eng-
neer of highways, recommended that such
grade crossings of steam railroad tracks
| as still exist outside the city limits be
| eliminated by progressively securing ap-
preparations for the purpose In this con-
| nection he suggested urgent and early
| action relative to the crossing at Takoma
| Park and the one at Benning.
! He also recommended that the appro-
priations yearly made for construction
| OF county roads to aggregated into
single appropriation to be expended on
the roads named in the bill in manner
analogous to the operation of the schedule
for paving streets within the city lie
has recommended this change for several
years past and he claims that it is more
important today than 1t ever was
| Another important recommendation
made by Engineer Hunt is that collec-
lions of special assessments for improve
| ments under assessment and permit WORK
| be credited in equal parts to the Unlteo
| States and the District of Columbia in
stead of to the current appropriation. ana
that appropriations as made by Congress
| be increased by the total of these cOllec-
| lions, as shown by past experience. The
amount to be expended will thus be known
| in advance not only by Congress. but by
the office charged with the execution or
the work under the appropriation. Mr..
| Hunt explained.
How Money Was Appropriated.
In speaking of the work done under his
supervision during the fiscal year ended
June 80 fast Mr.. Hunt says:
| THE total amount of funds appropriate
ed by Congress and deposited by corpora
lions and others for disbursement by the
surface division during the fiscal year
ended June 30. 1905 aggregated about
| 81 2Sl 900. of which about 100000 was
| for paving sidewalks and alleys in all
parts of the District of Columbia; $4SjOOO
| was for paving new streets and for re-
pairing and repaving old ones within the
city limits: about $21S.OOO was for con-
struction and repair of suburban streets
and county roads: $4,000 for grading
streets and alleys. and $4,000 for survey
and plan of treatment of Rock Creek
valley: about $4,000 for the maintenance
and construction of all bridges in the Dis
trict; about $4,000 in connection with
the elimination of grade crossings, while
approximately $4,000 was spent in re-
pairing pavements disturbed by excava-
tons on account of other branches of the
District government and by various cor
porations and plumbers"
In speaking of the principal county
road" work done during the year he men,
toned: Macadamizing Connecticut ave-
Grant roads: Belt road between Tenley
town road and Livingston street: Canal
| road west of New Cut road; Brightwood
avenue between Irving street and Rock
Creek Church road: Newton street be-
tween 14th street and Piney Branch road !:
| Livingston road between Oxon run and
| the District line.
Railroad Work Completed.
Regarding the elimination of grade
crossings Mr.. Hunt said that with rea-
lively minor exceptions the work to be
done by the various railroads under the
legislation authorizing this work has
been completed. He called attention to
the fast that the Union station plaza
has been substantially completed. He
said that the paving of the plaza and its
intersecting streets must, from physical
necessity. await the settlement of the
material placed in the fill. but that with
exceptions. and these are about to be
provided for, all other streets required to
be changed in the line or grade have
been paved at their new grades.