Evening star., 1925-09-14
BY WILL z. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
The streets of the National Capital
are today far worse than they were
before the war. The reason for that
is because during the war the re-
placement program was set aside and
not taken up again until last year.
Complaint is made by tourists from
all parts of the country that the first
rough riding of their trip was expert
enced after they got into the Ma
tional Capital. The answer to that
is that they motored here over the
very best national and State high
ways. mostly all new concrete roads,
and when they got to Washington
they hit streets where the pavement
was 20 to 80 years old and so
thoroughly patched and repatched
that it no longer presented a smooth
and even riding surface.
That's about the story-most of this
city's streets here are worn out
"outlawed"-on account of age. They
have far outlived the normal life of
street as recognized by the road
building and engineering professions.
Getting Better.
Still. the National Capital is in
great deal better condition now re-
garding its streets than it was one,
two or three years ago, because of
the large yardage of new pavement
that has been put in, for the most
part on the principal thoroughfares
leading into the city. This has re-
suited mostly from the funds coll
lected under the gasoline tax. with
accruing repayments by property
owners under the Borland amend
ment, which assesses one-hah Of the
| cost Of the new pavement against
abutting property owners.
Pavements generally throughout the
city, however are no better Qf as good
than they were a few years ago, but
the repair work has reached a stage
where. with adequate funds allowed.
the engineers in charge hope for steady
improvement.
But the fact remains very many of
our streets must be replaced with new
construction, and the sooner the better
for the comfort of traffic and the safe
ty of vehicles. 1t is a simple mathe-
matical proposition: We have some
$50 miles of streets that are in use
(traversable), with a roadway area Of
nearly 100000 yards. II the average
life of street construction is 90 years,
Lnen One-IWenIlCIn OF tnlS yarQAEe
must be replaced every year, If we
simply want to keep our streets from
getting even worse than they are to-
day. The engineers figure that alone
will cost $430, 900 a year, and up to the
present year, when 100000 was pro-
vided, only half that amount was
available There must be continually
increased appropriations for replace
ment work.
Recommended to Congress.
In their last annual report the Dis
trict Commissioners emphasized this.
saving to Congress: Asphalt road
way pavements were resurfaced to an
extent of a fraction only of their real
needs. their deterioration being made
quately met by minor repairs"
Again, the engineer of highways, In
his report to the Commissioners, said:
Very little resurfacing of asphalt
roadways was accomplished during
the year for lack of funds, and the
average age of all these pavements is
now believed to be far beyond that of
any other municipality; a condition
reflected, Notwithstanding our special
efforts to the contrary, by progress
sive deterioration in the safety and
! comfort of their use. More liberal
funds for this resurfacing are plainly
! needed"
| BY far the most extensive type Of
street construction in the District is
! sheet asphalt and coal tar surfacing.
! OF this there are more than 200 miles,
or about 3,5o0,000 square yards. All
] of these streets that have been laid in
| the last 20 years are in good condition.
Just remember that 20 years Is the
professions best judgment on the
proper life of asphalt surface. Yet
of he Nt
ernment on our streets shows many
of them have a life of 26. % and even
ND to 40 years. The records for the
! entire country show that the asphalt
streets of Washington have a longer
life than those in almost any other
| place.
Some Bad Spots.
And vet we have some very bad
pieces of asphalt streets-all of the
''outlaw'' type-which the highway
! engineers know about but cannot take
| care of for some time to come-unttl
! funds are available. Right now most
of these streets should be replaced
with new construction. Here are
| some of the bad spots:
| Pennsylvania avenue from Peace
Monument to Third street.
K street. from Tenth to Connectt-
cut avenue.
Pennsylvania avenue, from Wash
ington circle to Twenty-sixth street
! Thirty-fifth street, from Prospect
! to Wisconsin avenue.
! street, from New Jersey avenue
| to Seventh street.
| T street, from Ninth to Fourteenth.
S, street, from Eleventh to Thir-
| teenth street.
Sixth street, from M to and
from P to @ street
Fourth street (Eckington), north of
L street north.
North Capitol street. from New
York avenue to Florida avenue.
| First street, from l. to n street.
P street. from North Capitol to
| New Jersey avenue.
| d street southwest, from Four
teenth street east (which has many
waves and ripples. 1t is about Is
years old).
| Twelfth street, from M to n street.
Maryland avenue southwest, from
! Four and -a-half to Sixth street.
| c street southwest, from Four and
| a-han street to Sixth street. e