Evening star., 1947-10-02
2RoadPrograms
Authorized for
PrinceGeorges
Minimum Standards
Set Up for Street
Construction
By ChorIes A. McAIeer

BY Chorles A. MeAIeer
Two separate road plans-one to
establish minimum standards for
street construction in Prince
Georges County and another to pro-
vide for maintenance of county
roads-were under preparation to-
day by County Engineer Arthur W.
Tayman.
Authority for the two programs,
as well as authorization for the i'm
mediate purchase of approximately
$4,000 in equipment to conduct the
road maintenance work, was given
Mr.. Tayman after a special con-
ference with the Prince Georges
County Commissioners yesterday at
Upper Marlboro.
The commissioners directed that
road standard regulations be pre-
pared by Mr.. Tayman and Waldo
Burnside, attorney for the commits
sioners, and ordered that public
hearing be held before the new laws,
60 into effect. No date was set for
the hearings.
Standards Set Up.
The new regulations, the commits
sioners agreed, will establish pro-
cedure to be followed by builders
in constructing streets. The COM
missioners added that there shall be
only one set of minimum standards,
applicable to the entire county, ex-
elusive of incorporated communities
unless requested by them.
The commissioners also voted to
accept all roads and streets in the
county, outside of incorporated areas,
as county roads if they meet the
proposed standards and are certified
to that effect by the county engi-
neer's Office.
Tax Provides Funds. .
Mr.. Tayman said funds to take
over the roads after they meet the
prescribed standards will come from
rebates from the State gasoline tax
The county's share this year is ex-
pected to be about 100000 or about
3.85 per cent of the total revenue
allocated to the counties, Mr.. Tay-
man said. This includes money to be
given to incorporated areas and to
special improvement districts, he
added. Funds slated for the latter
districts, however, will be kept by
the county, but earmarked for the
separate improvement districts.
Montgomery County already has
adopted similar regulations govern
ing standards of street construction.
The second major plan under
consideration by Mr.. Tayman in
wolves a program for dividing the
county into four districts for road
maintenance work.
Program Is Outlined.
Under this program, a headquar-
ters, garage. storage yard and re-
pair shop will be set up first in the
vicinity of Largo, with branch ga
RACES and headquarters to be estab-
lished later at Beltsville, Mellwood
and Brandywine Mr.. Tayman said
a minimum of five acres would be
required at the Largo site, but said
none of the final details has been
worked out and no land has been
purchased yet.
The division of the county is ex-
pected to take two or three years to
get into full swing, Mr.. Tayman
declared. It's part of program in
which the county took over its own
int frNy,o thu Cto%n
as of last July /, he said.
The program will be under the di-
rect supervision of c. Henry Nc
Pherson of Aquasco, who assumed
the position yesterday as main
tenance superintendent of county
roads, Mr.. Tayman told the COM
missioners.
Included among equipment au-
thorized yesterday to be purchased
for immediate delivery are four
heavy-duty dump trucks, nine snow
plows to be mounted on the trucks,
four motor patrol graders, including
two of which will be equipped with
V-type snow plows, four road rollers,
a conveyor-type loader, and three
automobiles and a station wagon for
use by the county engineering staff.
Equipment Is Minimum.
The equipment is the minimum
required to start such an operation
and will be supplemented later as
the needs arrive, Mr.. Tayman said.
Purchase of the snow plows will
result in the organization of a.
"minute-man" snow removal task
force to clear county roads this
winter, the commissioners decided
Truck drivers and sufficient help will
be alerted for snow-clearing duties