Report of the city of Somerville 1916, Part 19

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 432


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1916 > Part 19


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Number of survey note-books, sewer permit books, deed books, calculation books and record books- three hundred and sixty.


Number of plans, including sewers, highways, parks, house lots, etc .- seven thousand seven hundred.


Value of field instruments, tools and office instruments


$2,000 00


The number of assistants employed during the year on engineering work varied from seven to nine.


The total cost of maintaining the Engineering Depart- ment (City Engineer Account) since it was established, 1872-1916, both years inclusive, has amounted to $355,768.00.


General Work. Under the title of Engineering Depart- ment a varied line of city work is carried on each year, in- cluding the designing and superintending of the construction and maintenance of sewers, parks, playgrounds, boulevards, bridges, and other public works as may be authorized; the making of such surveys, plans, profiles, estimates, descrip- tions of property, specifications and contracts for work as the mayor, board of aldermen, or any committee or depart- ment may require ; the custody of all plans and data relating


269


CITY ENGINEER.


to the laying out, widening or discontinuing of streets, the computing of all sewer, sidewalk, and street betterment as- sessments, and the recording and indexing of all work under the control of the city engineer.


The city ordinances require that the city engineer must be consulted on all work where the advice of a civil engineer would be of service; and no structure of any kind can be placed upon, beneath, or above any street, by any department of the city, corporation, or individual, until a plan is furnished showing the location and approved by him.


During the year the department made plans and estab- lished lines and grades for the acceptance, under the better- ment act, of thirteen new public streets, a total length of 5,240 feet (0.99 mile) ; and plans were made of four private streets for acceptance as public ways, as ordered, but not as yet made public. There are plans for acceptance of eleven other private streets, previously made, on file in the office that for various reasons are still unaccepted as public streets.


Stone bounds have been reset in Portland cement con- crete at a number of street intersections and angles, to define and preserve the true lines of public streets, and this work should be continued as much as possible each year. These bounds are also of great convenience in establishing perma- nent "Bench Marks" throughout the city for giving grades.


No new street bounds were set during the year 1916. There are at the present time 576 stone bounds set in the city for defining street lines. (Table showing location in 1907 report.)


The total length of public streets in the city is 83.041 miles, and private streets 17.479 miles. (See table in this re- port for location, width, length, etc.)


Streets Accepted as Public Highways in 1916, Under the Betterment Act.


NAME OF STREET.


WARD.


FROM


To


Width Length in Feet. in Feet.


Date of Acceptance


Burnham street


7


Broadway .


Pow. House Blvd.


40


543


December 29


Electric avenue.


7


Mason street


Packard avenue .


40


633


December 29


Hamilton road


7


Russell road .


North street


40


560


December 29


Harding street


2


Ward street


Northerly


30


70


December 29


Heath street


5


Bond street


Edgar avenue.


40


390


December 29


Illinois avenue


1


Broadway


Pennsylvania ave.


40


427


February 25


Mason street


7


Broadway .


Pow. House Blvd.


40


681


December 29


Michigan avenue .


1


Broadway


Pennsylvania ave.


40


470


December 29


Mountain avenue .


6


Porter street


near Linden ave.


22


280


December 29


New Hampshire av.


1


Pennsylvania av.


Mystic avenue


40


406


December 29


Vermont avenue


1


Pennsylvania av.


Mystic avenue


40


433


May 6


Walter terrace .


4


Walter street


Southwesterly


40


222


December 29


Willow place


2


South street


Cambridge line


25


125


December 29


Total


. .


(0.992 miles)


5,240


·


.


.


·


270


ANNUAL REPORTS.


A new map of the city on a scale of 600 feet to an inch has been compiled and 500 copies printed for general use.


Length of Public Streets in Each Ward.


Miles.


Ward one


10.357


Ward two


9.225


Ward three


7.587


Ward four


9.954


Ward five


12.200


Ward six


13.392


Ward seven


20.326


Total length of public streets in the city 83.041


A number of streets have been changed and plans made, showing a re-numbering of the buildings, and all old num- bering plans revised, new houses plotted, and numbers as- signed.


Some of the old main thoroughfares should be re-num- bered throughout the entire length, so as to eliminate half numbers and letters now being used, as many of these old streets have outgrown their original numbering.


There are many streets, avenues, courts, and places in the city of the same or very similar name, which should be changed to prevent the confusion now existing.


During the year 1916 approximately $149,000.00 were spent for construction work on the improvement of city streets and about $27,500.00 for the construction of new sidewalks.


This construction work was carried on jointly by the Engineering department and the Highway department, part of the work being done by contract, and the remainder by the city highway department, day labor.


The contractors were James H. Fannon and Charles A. Kelley, Somerville, Hassam Paving Company, Worcester, and Simpson Bros. Corp., Boston, for street construction work and Denis I. Crimmings, Somerville, for granolithic sidewalk construction.


Sections of Broadway (Charlestown line to Garfield avenue) and Medford street (Central square to Highland avenue) have had an asphaltic wearing surface, about two inches in thickness, placed on top of the old concrete pave- ment, a total of 16,864 square yards, 3,700 feet in length, constructed by contract. (This old concrete roadway has been in use about ten years.)


Sections of Pearl and Medford streets (Cross street to School street) and Summer street (Bow street to School street) have been re-constructed with a "Bi-co-mac" pave-


271


CITY ENGINEER.


ment (concrete base) a total of 10,779 square yards, 4,090 feet in length, constructed by contract.


A portion of Union square has been re-constructed with granite blocks (re-cut) laid on a concrete base and grouted with Portland cement; 5,240 square yards were laid by con- tract and the remaining area will be completed early in 1917.


Four thousand ninety-seven square yards vitrified brick pavement (concrete base) have been laid in portions of Day street, Chester street, Magoun square and Washington street, a total length of 958 feet, by contract, at a cost of $2.80 per square yard complete, and 472 square yards laid by the highway department in Meacham road, 151 yards re- maining to be completed.


One thousand two hundred and thirty-one square yards bituminous macadam pavement (concrete base) have been constructed in North street (Powder House boulevard to Conwell avenue) and in Washington street (Dane street to Kingman road, excepting inclines at railroad bridge) a total length of 7,731 feet, at a contract price of $1.36 per square yard exclusive of asphaltic binder.


One thousand nine hundred and eight-three square yards of this kind of pavement, a length of 714 feet, was constructed in a portion of Summer street by the city highway depart- ment. day labor.


Alewife Brook Parkway in Somerville has been con- structed by the state park commission with a bituminous macadam surface, a length of about 2,400 feet.


The total length of permanent paved streets in the city amounts to 16.3 miles.


Nine new streets have been constructed, under the bet- terment act, with a bituminous macadam wearing surface, concrete gutters and granite edgestone, a total length of 3,406 feet ; three being done by contract and six by day labor.


The average cost of this type of construction for a forty- foot street complete, by contract was $5.34 per linear foot, and by the city highway department, day labor, $6.36 per linear foot.


The total street betterment assessments amounted to $8,938.59.


Fourteen streets were constructed by the city highway department by day labor, a total length of 14,083 feet, at a cost of $32,918.39.


Nine thousand eight hundred forty-nine square yards of granolithic sidewalk, a total length of 2.64 miles, were con- structed by contract during the year at an average cost of $1.48 per square yard and 6,486 square' yards of granolithic sidewalk, a total length of 1.88 miles, were constructed by the city highway department at an average cost of $1,64 per square yard,


272


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Lines and grades have been given for setting 7,448 linear feet (1.41 miles) of new edgestone, 16,335 square yards (4.52 miles) of granolithic sidewalks and measurements taken for computing assessments ; 0.16 of a mile of edgestone has been reset and in addition to this 0.802 mile of granolithic sidewalk has been laid on private streets by property owners.


The total sidewalk betterment assessments and income amounted to $12,610.74.


In connection with setting edgestones 821 square yards of new concrete gutters have been laid by the city highway department, by day labor, at an average cost of $2.64 per square yard.


A number of driveways and crossings have been con- structed, all requiring lines, grades, and measurements.


(See tables for cost of new work, 1916, and total lengths of sidewalks constructed in the city to date.)


The average cost for the year has been as follows :-


For setting edgestone with gravel sidewalk by highway department $1.33 per linear foot


For setting edgestone with gravel sidewalk by contract 1.02 per linear foot


Laying granolithic sidewalk, complete, by highway department . · Laying granolithic · sidewalk, complete, by


1.64 per square yard


contract (including one year guarantee) . 1.48 per square yard


And the cost of materials furnished by contract :-


Edgestone (straight) delivered at work 0.67 per linear foot Edgestone (circle) delivered at work 0.85 per linear foot ·


Bricks delivered at work (sidewalks) 15.00 per M


Bricks (vitrified) on cars (paving) 31.00 per M


Cement (Portland) on cars 1.47 per barrel (net)


Sand and gravel on cars


0.70 per cubic yard


Trap-rock delivered on work (various size) 1.48 per ton (aver- age)


From a comparison of the cost of constructing new streets, sidewalks, etc., by day labor and by contract for a number of years past, it would seem advisable to do by con- tract all new work, where approximately one-half of the total cost of construction is assessed on abutting property owners, and thereby making the assessments, as levied, more uniform throughout the city.


In sections of the city where brick sidewalks have been laid many years, and must necessarily be relaid on account of deterioration and unevenness, granolithic should be sub- stituted in the place of brick,


273


CITY ENGINEER.


Miles of Edgestone, Granolithic and Brick Sidewalks in Each Ward.


Edgestone.


Gravel Sidewalk.


Brick Sidewalk.


Granolithic Sidewalk.


Ward two


16.043


6.308


6.744


3.050


Ward three


14.258


1.040


11.572


1.646


Ward four


15.142


1.558


9.993


3.605


Ward five


22.053


5.160


12.194


4.887


Ward six


24.410


4.759


10.678


9.922


Ward seven


29.621


2.847


8.462


19.796


140.111


25.467


71.736


47.162


Table of Street Construction.


Square Yards.


Miles.


*Streets paved with granite blocks


108,732


4.56


** Streets paved with concrete .


23,990


1.42


tStreets paved with asphaltic top


42,215


2.59


Streets paved with vitrified brick


19,149


1.14


Streets paved with "Bi-co-mac"


10,780


0.77


Streets paved with bitulithic (patent)


3,911


0.11


Combination pavement (concrete base with bituminous top)


86,107


5.73


#Streets macadamized ("tarvia" bound)


28,14


Streets macadamized (water bound)


37.59


Streets graveled or unimproved


18.47


Total


100.52


*Also 31.9 miles (single track) electric railway paved with granite, asphalt, bitulithic, etc.


** Includes 0.42 miles state highway.


tIncludes 1.16 miles of state highway.


#Includes 1.406 miles of city boulevard and park roadways and 2.331 miles of state boulevard (Metropolitan Park Commission).


A considerable quantity of stone still remains on the two parcels of ledge property owned by the city, situated in West Somerville, that can be quarried and used for the foundation of streets, and on sidewalk work, to the city's advantage. By using the stone from these two ledges and purchasing trap-rock, the city will have a sufficient supply of good road material for a number of years to come.


The policy recently adopted of permanently construct- ing the city's main thoroughfares in perference to side streets has shown good results.


In a few years' time, by the continuation of permanently constructing the remaining roadways, namely short sections of Broadway, Somerville avenue, Medford, Summer, Washing- ton and Beacon streets, and some of the principal cross-town streets, the city will have main thoroughfares that will com- pare favorably with any city in the state.


Many times in the past, streets newly constructed, or where an improved pavement was laid, were torn up and excavations made a short time after being built, when the changes should have been made considerably in advance of the new street construction work.


Ward one


·


18.584


3.795


12.093


4.256


274


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Previous notice of the city's intended street improve- ments should be given to the various departments and inter- ested corporations and ample time allowed for making all extensions and repairs of underground work; and no permis- sion should be granted to cut any newly constructed street, except for emergencies or under special conditions, where a sufficient sum of money, as determined by the city, is paid the city in advance for the restoration of the paving or other street surface.


An ordinance should be enacted whereby no street open- ings can be made until these conditions are complied with satisfactorily to the city.


The Boston Elevated Railway Company has made exten- sive repairs in its roadbed in this city during the past year, replacing the old tracks with new and heavier rails. There are a number of miles of trackage in the city's main thorough- fares where the old granite block pavement, within the rail- road location, should be relaid and grouted with Portland cement, and additional catch basins constructed between the rails to relieve the flooding of sections of certain streets in times of heavy storms.


There are 31.9 miles of electric railroad (single track lo- cation) laid at the present time in the city's streets.


Where double tracks have been laid in streets, leaving narrow roadways on either side, it is impossible to maintain a macadam surface, even at a heavy expense yearly, and these streets should be permanently paved with a suitable pave- ment, adapted to the character of the surroundings and amount of traffic and conditions encountered.


More granite block pavement should be laid in sections of certain streets in various parts of the city; this could be accomplished at a comparatively low rate of cost by relaying each year, as the appropriation would allow, sections of the old granite paved streets with modern work and using the surplus re-cut blocks for new streets desired.


Lines and grades have been given for laying new city water mains. New house services, many gates, hydrants. water posts and blow-offs have been located and recorded, sketches and plans made showing the same, and the water works maps corrected to date; also a large number of old water services where new meters were installed, have been located and recorded.


A number of the locations of old hydrants, gates, etc .. have been found to be incorrect, a few having been removed entirely; a new survey of the entire distribution systen should be made and the maps and office records compiled.


Plans have been made by the various companies and cor- porations, and filed in the city engineer's office, showing the locations of gas mains, poles, tracks and conduits in this city,


275


CITY ENGINEER.


which have been granted by the board of aldermen during the year; and the work of placing overhead wires in conduits underground and removing ali poles from the streets should be extended as rapidly as possible.


At the present time there are underground in the city's streets 16.74 miles of telephone conduits, 11.99 miles of elec- tric light conduits, 1.4 miles of electric railway conduits and about 9.7 miles of underground conduits used for the city's wires.


The Cambridge and Charlestown Gas Companies have extended their mains in the city's streets 0.66 mile the past vear.


Heavy explosions have occurred in the city's streets from underground conduits, owned by private corporations. The city ordinances should be so changed that in the future all underground work constructed by these companies should be rigidly inspected by a competent man employed by the city, so as to eliminate, as far as possible, faulty construction.


A set of block plans should be made covering the entire city area, from accurate surveys made during the past twenty- five years, and carefully compared section by section with the deed dimensions and areas recorded in the assessor's de- partment, and in this manner the correct areas of land de- termined.


This set of plans would show the area and dimensions of cach lot, all houses and other buildings, sewers, catch basins, house drains, water services, gas mains, underground con- duits for wires, street lights, street railway tracks, etc., and be of great value to many city departments. Five of these sectional plans have already been made. A separate appro- priation should be made for completing these plans.


Plans have been made and photographs taken where acci- dents have occurred on the city work. or where boundaries were in dispute, and special plans and data prepared for the city solicitor's use in court cases and hearings.


All plans of estates in Somerville recorded at the Regis- try of Deeds, East Cambridge, including land court plans, have been copied, also titles examined, abstracts from deeds made for the purpose of assessments, and the proportional part of the cost of new work computed, and the schedules of assess- ments made out showing the property owners. Copies have been made of all city plans where land has been taken for highways or sewers, and these have been filed and recorded at the Registry, East Cambridge, as required by law.


GRADE CROSSINGS AND BRIDGES.


No actual construction on grade crossing abolishment in this city has been done during the past year. The construc-


276


ANNUAL REPORTS.


tion work for the elimination of these dangerous grade cross- ings should be continued until completed as decreed by the court. Work should be commenced at the Park street cross- ing immediately.


The special automatic pump at Medford street installed for removing storm water from the subway under the steam railroad tracks and discharging into a city sewer at a higher elevation (this means of disposal of water being made neces- sary by an act of the state legislature) has not proved satis- factory to the city up to the present time.


The plans for abolishments of these crossings were de- scribed in previous annual reports, and at two streets the plan adopted is the same as proposed by the city's scheme presented to the commission ; at the other three streets the plan adopted is just the reverse of the city's scheme as presented.


Washington street bridge over the Fitchburg division of the Boston & Maine railroad near Union square has been ex- tensively repaired by the railroad company and the sidewalks improved and made a greater width.


Prospect street bridge over the Fitchburg division of the Boston & Maine railroad is an old narrow wooden bridge that has existed for many years and is wholly inadequate for the unusual amount of automobile travel at the present time and should be rebuilt immediately to the full width of the street. Likewise the Broadway bridge at Northi Somerville over the southern division of the Boston & Maine railroad should be widened to the full width of the street.


The old bridge carrying the Boston & Maine railroad tracks over Washington street (East Somerville) should be replaced with a new bridge of modern design and thereby in- creasing the head-room in the street about two and one-half feet where at present the traffic is seriously impeded.


City Boundary Lines. In November, 1916, representatives appointed from the city of Somerville and the city of Boston examined the bounds defining the division line between these two cities and reported their findings in due form to the board of aldermen.


These boundary lines are perambulated every five years as prescribed by the statutes.


A number of stone boundary markers, defining the divi- sion lines between Somerville and bordering cities, are out of plumb and should be reset.


A contemplated change in the boundary line between Somerville and Medford has been under consideration by both cities for some time and an exchange of territory could be made that would be equally advantageous.


CITY ENGINEER.


SEWER DIVISION.


Construction Account. Statement of Expenses, 1916.


Constructing "separate system" sewers


(assessments levied)


$2,434 08


Constructing "combined system" sewers


(assessments levied) .


2,169 86


Constructing storm drains


3,314 33


Reserve payments on sewer contracts 1915


418 03


Constructing catch basins (40) .


2,472 36


Constructing new manholes on old sewers


501 73


Charged to other departments and ac- counts .


348 03


Materials on hand December 31, 1916


1,009 38


Total expenditure


CREDIT.


Appropriation


$20,000 00


Balance unexpended, 1915 .


8 12


Received from other departments and ac-


counts, labor and materials furnished


348 03


Total credit .


$20,356 15


Balance unexpended (over to 1917) .


$7,688 35


The greater part of the new construction work has been done by contract, and the remainder by the city employing day labor, where old structures were to be remodeled or re- placed by some difficult construction work. All materials have been furnished by the city, and the prices paid for sup- plies for the season have been by contract with the lowest bidder as follows :--


Sewer pipe (3 foot lengths)


Sewer pipe fittings


Portland cement per barrel


Sand per cubic yard .


0.70 on cars


Sewer bricks per M. .


0.75 delivered at yard


Iron manhole and catch


basin castings per hun- dred weight


1.95 delivered at yard


Catch basin traps, each .


1.88 delivered at yard


A number of sewers have been constructed as petitioned for in various sections of the city, or as considered necessary for the improvement of the drainage system, and portions of the cost of construction assessed on the abutting estates under orders passed by the board of aldermen.


Short lines of storm drains and overflows from congested sewers have been constructed during the year in the most needed districts.


The "separate system" sewers (those built for house drainage only) have been extended in a number of streets in


.


$12,667 80


76% discount from list price on cars 78% discount from list price on cars $1.47 on cars (net)


278


ANNUAL REPORTS.


the older districts, and this system should be extended yearly until all the flooded districts in the city have two complete sys- tems of drainage, the old sewer to be used for storm and sur- face water. The city pays the entire cost of these new sewer extensions for house drainage, and wherever constructed the house plumbing should be changed where necessary ; and the house drains and conductor, or surface water drains, recon- nected with both systems as soon as possible.


New sewers and drains were constructed during the year varying in size. from eight-inch pipe to twenty-inch pipe in the following localities :-


"Separate system" sewers in :-


High street,-Powder House boulevard to near North street.


Mystic avenue,-Wheatland street to Temple street (southerly sidewalk).


North street,-Medford city line to Woods avenue. Powder House boulevard,-Sewer built in 1914, at No. 305 Boulevard to High street (easterly side- walk).


Temple street, -- Mystic avenue to near Sydney street (easterly sidewalk).


"Combined system" sewers in :--


Central street,-Cambria street to Oxford street.


Storm drains in :-


High street,-Powder House boulevard to North street.


North street,-Bailey street to College Hill road.


Powder House boulevard,-Storm drain built in 1915 at No. 285 Boulevard to High street.


Somerville Field,-Alewife brook to Powder House boulevard (two lines) near Fairfax street and Gordon street.


SUMMARY OF WORK.


Eleven new sewers and drains have been constructed dur- ing the year, a total length of 4,985.2 linear feet (0.944 mile) at a cost of $7,918.27; plans have been made showing these sewers in detail, and assessments levied on a portion of them, amounting to $2,744.06. (See tabular statement of sewers and drains for 1916, showing itemized statement of work and cost.)


The total length of the city's drainage system is 111.277 miles ; 31.661 miles being on the "separate system" and 10.449 miles of storm drains, and the entire cost of construction has amounted to about $1,331,420.00 exclusive of the amount paid to the state for assessments for the construction of the North Metropolitan sewerage system.




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