The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-26
PAVING CONDITIONS
HERE DEPLORABLE,
SURVEY DECLARES
Need for 10000 Square
Yards of Pavement
In District.
PROGRAM is VITAL
Small Appropriations of Con-
gress Fail to Meet
Situation.
PROGRAM is VITAL


policy of shortsightedness. There is
urgent need for a street paving pro-
gram covering a period Of years. The
condition OF the streets must keep
pace with the growth Of local motor
dom
Statistics prepared under the di-
rection of Major F. S. Besson, assis-
taut to the District engineer commits
gsioner, show how far the annual
niggardly appropriations OF Congress
have gone toward meeting the needs
OF the District for new streets and
resurfaced streets.
A wide difference is shown be-
tween the amount OF pavement that
Washington ought to have and what
IL does have. A complete survey of
the city shows that on January /,
1898. there was need for 10000
square yards of new pavement. Had
the pavement program kept pace
each year with the growth of the city
this enormous need would not now
exist
1t would be impossible to make
up this entire amount in one
year. However. II would show
sagacious judgment on the part of
Congress IL paving program were
adopted Spread over four years,
as shown in figure one, It would
require 2s6,s75 square yards of pave
rnent each year between now and
1895.
From then on the normal line could
be followed each year keeping pace
with the population and property
values. In 1925 the amount needed
would only be 175,OoO square yards.
Figuring in money instead Of
square yards OF pavement, Congress
IS now approximately S2,5ss.637 be-
HAD In its appropriations for new
Davements for the District Of Column
oia- Spread over a period of four
wears Congress would need to put 81,
O9S.15O in new paving each year to
meet the needs
What has Congress done in re-
sard to new paving?
While il is impossible to forecast
what will be done in conference be-
tween the House and Senate over
District appropriations, 1t can be
Iscertained from the bill that
passed the House and later passed
the Senate in an amended form.
Just what each chamber saw fit
to give Washington.
The House of Representatives ap-
propriated the little sum of Ss5,-
100 for new paving, falling short
of the four-year program figure
by Sl.0l0.S5O. This will provide for
approximately $4,000 square yards
Of paving.
The Senate improved on this
amount by putting back into the
bill all the streets that the House
cut out OF the estimates as fur
nished by the Bureau OF the Budget.
The Senators propose to expend
S225.lOO for new pavements. falling
short Of the needs. as spread over
the four-year program, by $40, $50.
Inc senate plans for approximate
" $4,000 square yards Of new pave
ment which is approximately 22o.
900 square yards short of the
amount estimated for the four-year
program.
In figure two, II is shown how
the amount OF resurfacinE needed
by. the city has been accumulat
ing through the years and now
leaves the streets in such a
bad condition. This need sbouId
be met by a resurfacinE pro-
gram that would gradually re-
duee the area until only the annual
wear on the streets need be me,
Normally approximately 4 per cent
Of the streets should be resurfaced
each year.
The District appropriations bill
as II passed the House provided for
StSl'z5O Tor repairs to streets, ave-
nues and alleys including both re-
surfacing and other repairs. This
sum was Increased to $500. 900 in the
Senate. Maj. Besson estimates that
that amount will provide for an
proximately the same amount Of
resurfacing as last year, or $4,000
square yards.
1t Is estimated that the city was
approximately 429.7s9 SQUARE yards
behind in its resurfacing on Janu-
airy 1. 1922. To prove this the CITY
government made a canvas and
listed 147 separate street items
totaling 42s,7oO square yards.
The following are the new pave
ments provided for by the House:
Fifteenth street northeast, be-
tween East Capitol and B streets,
$4,000; 1ngraham street northwest,
east Of Fourteenth street, $1,000:
Dpsnur street northwest, between
New Hampshire avenue ana Fourth
street. $500; Fifteenth street
northwest, between H and I streets
Sl6,soo; Yuma street northwest be,
tween Thirty-eighth and Thirty
ninth streets, $4,000; varnum street
northwest, between Second Fstreet
and Rock Creek Church road. and
between Seventh street and Grant
circle, S1l,7oo; Third street north
west, between Taylor and Upshur
streets, s4.700; Nineteenth street
northwest. between c and z streets
s11,20o; Illinois avenue northwest.
between Webster and Allison
streets, $1,000; Crittenden streer
northwest, between Fifteenth street
and Piney Branch road. s3.SoO.
70 these the Senate added those
streets that the House cut out of
the list submitted by the Bureau Of
the Budget. The streets added are:
West side of Connecticut avenue
northwest. between Ingomar street
and CHEVY Chase Circle, $4,000:
East Capitol street northeast, be-
tween Fifteenth and Eighteenth
streets, $4,000; Rhode Island ave-
nue. northeast. between Twelfth and
Sixteenth streets, $4,000; Twelfth
street northeast, between Michigan
avenue and Upshur street, $1,000;
Randolph street northwest, between
Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets.
$4,000; Twenty-eighth street north
west between Woodley road and
Cathedral avenue, $4,000.
As given by Commissioner Ru-
dolph before the House Appropria-
tons Committee, the following esti-
mates for new street paving were
stricken out by the Bureau Of Bud
gets from the list submitted by the
District Commissioners:
Georgia avenue northwest, Mill,
taTy road to Piney Branch road.
$4,000: Nichols avenue southeast.