USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1917 > Part 15
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During the past year there have been many complaints on account of the over-crowded condition of our Street Cars on all the Street Car lines of our city. This has been aggravated to a certain extent by the action of the Boston Elevated in running "Limited Stop" cars both going to and coming from Boston. Upon investigating conditions at Sullivan Square and from the numerous complaints received from different citizens, the Board believes the running of large numbers of "Limited Stop" cars, and especially the cars running from Sullivan Square to Ball Square, through Medford Street and the Magoun Square district is an outrage on a great majority of our citizens and should be discontinued.
It has also come to the attention of the Board that the Boston Elevated Railway has been running "express cars" in the morning and that large numbers of our citizens have been
222
ANNUAL REPORTS.
compelled in a good many cases to see these cars go by empty or with perhaps half a dozen passengers in them. However advisable it may be to run cars express after they have been filled to their capacity, the Board believes there is no justifica- tion for the running of express cars in the morning for the accommodation of a comparatively few of our citizens and re- sulting in great inconvenience to a great majority who have to rely upon car service to get to business on time in the morning.
The Board believes these matters should be taken up by the City government with the Public Service Commission in order that the abuse of these "Limited Stop" cars, to the detriment of a great body of our citizens, may be corrected and the running of express cars during the rush hours in the morning, except where cars are filled to their capacity, be discontinued.
APPROPRIATION .- In its last annual report the Planning Board requested an appropriation of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00) so that much needed maps, office files and other necessary articles of a more or less permanent nature might be procured. An appropriation of Fifty Dollars was voted to the Board last year. The Planning Board has been unable with this limited amount to get the various articles needed to effect its office organization. It again respectfully calls the attention of the City government to the necessity of appropriating a sufficient sum to procure these needed articles.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM F. RILEY,
Chairman. CLARENCE D. WATERHOUSE. HARRISON L. EVANS, DAVID J. KELLEY,
Secretary.
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER, City Hall, Somerville, January 15, 1918. To His Honor, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen :-
Gentlemen,-In accordance with the city ordinances, the following report of the work done and expense incurred for the year ending December 31. 1917, by the Engineering Department and appropriations under my charge and supervision, includ- ing the accounts of city engineer, sewers construction, sewers maintenance, parks maintenance. playgrounds maintenance, and other public works. is herewith presented.
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. City Engineering Account. Classification of Expenses, 1917.
Sewers,-comprising surveys, estimates, profiles, lines, grades, titles, plans, assessments and all engineering work relating to sewers .
$1,956 93
Highways,-comprising plans, estimates, titles, profiles, lines and grades, inspection of paving and all other en- gineering work relating to the department 3,512 62
Sidewalks,-comprising profiles, lines, grades, measure- ments, inspection, titles, costs and assessments . Water works,-comprising lines, grades, locations of mains, gates, hydrants and services and other matters relating to the department .
682 56
Parks and Public Grounds,-comprising surveys, plans, estimates, profiles and grades, including laying out of parks. and playgrounds and boulevard .
338 94
Public Buildings,-comprising surveys, estimates, lines and grades, and other work relating to construction and laying out of grounds
206 70
Street Numbering,-comprising locations of buildings, plans, assigning street numbers
647 32
Street Lines and Grades,-comprising establishing of lines, grades, and miscellaneous data given parties for build- ing and grading 402 86
Bridges and Grade Crossings .- comprising surveys, plans. profiles, estimates, lines and grades, etc. 24 48 City Survey,-comprising establishing of street lines, ac- ceptance plans, and miscellaneous survey work for city map, etc. 459 51 .
Middlesex Registry,-comprising copying of plans, and ab- stracts from deeds and examination of titles filed at East Cambridge, also tracing of street acceptance and sewer taking plans filed for record 241 83
Private Corporations, Railway, Telephone, Electric Light and Gas Light Companies,-comprising grades, plans, profiles and office notes, locations of poles and conduits .
116 47
1,082 13
224
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Office Work,-comprising record of all locations, indexing, typewriting, bookkeeping, calculations, reports, and gen- eral draughting . Miscellaneous Work,-comprising preliminary surveys, de- signs, sketches, etc., relating to various schemes for dif- ferent committees 32 29
1,779 23
Holidays, Vacations and Sickness
648 60
Total
$12,132 52.
Office Records and Value of Instruments.
Number of survey note-books, sewer permit books, deed books, calculation books, and record books-three hun- dred and sixty-seven.
Number of plans, including sewers, highways, parks, house lots, etc .- seven thousand eight hundred and fifty.
Value of field instruments, tools and office instruments $2,000 00;
The number of assistants employed during the year on en- gineering work varied from six to nine. (The War has reduced the office assistants, and employees in other divisions).
The total cost of maintaining the Engineering Department (City Engineer Account) since it was established, 1872-1917, both years inclusive, has amounted to $367,900.00.
General Work.
The city charter provides that the Engineering Depart- ment, including Sewers, Parks and Public Grounds, shall be under the control, supervision and management of the city en- gineer and other prescribed duties.
The city ordinances require that the city engineer must be consulted on all work when 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 showing lines. and grades for the acceptance, under the betterment act, of ten new public streets, a total length of 3,956 feet (0.75 mile). 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.
225
CITY ENGINEER.
Streets Accepted as Public Highways in 1917, Under the Betterment Act.
NAME OF STREET. WARD.
FROM
To
Width in Ft.
Length in Ft.
Date of Acceptance
Belmont Square ..
6
Belmont Street.
Eastherl thence
30 & 20
220
Jan. 3, 1918
Carter Terrace
3
Summer Street
Southwesterly
40
171
Jan. 4, 1918
Central Road
5
Central Street.
E'ly and N'ly
30
377
Sept.14,1917
Central Road
5
Central Road.
Sycamore St ..
30 to 15
221
Connecticut Ave.
1
Pennsylvania av. Mystic Avenue ...
40
487
Jan. 3, 1918-
Horrace Street
2
Ward Street
Fi'hD.B.&M.R.R.
30
264
Jan. 3, 1918
Jaques Street.
5
Bond Street
Edgar Avenue
40
395
Jan. 5, 1918
Linden Avenue ...
6
Summer Street
Cedar Avenue.
45
285
Jan. 5, 1918
Maine Avenue.
1
Pennsylvania av.
Mystic Avenue
40
379
Jan. 4, 1918
Minnesota Ave.
1
Pennsylvania av. Broadway
10
525
Jan 3, 1918
Whitman Street ..
7
Mason Road
Packard Ave
40
632
Jan. 3, 1918 .
Total
(0.749 miles )
3,956
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 permanent "Bench Marks" throughout the city for giving grades.
No new street bounds were set during the year 1917. There are at the present time 576 stone bounds set in the city for de- fining street lines. (Tables showing location in 1907 report.)
The total length of public streets in the city is 83.846 miles, and private streets 16.949 miles. (See table in this report for location, width, length, etc).
Length of Public Streets in Each Ward.
Miles
Ward one
10.620
Ward two
9.281
Ward three
7.630
Ward four
9.965
Ward five
12.388
Ward six
13.506
Ward seven
20.456
Total length of public streets in the city 83.846
A number of streets have been changed and plans made, showing a renumbering of the buildings, and all old number- ing plans revised, new houses plotted, and numbers assigned.
Some of the old main thoroughfares should be renumbered 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.
Nor'ly & Sou'ly ....
226
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Sidewalk and Street construction work was carried on jointly by the Engineering Department and the Highway De- partment, part of the work being done by contract, and the re- mainder by the city highway department, day labor.
Various kinds of pavements were laid by contract during the year.
Recut granite blocks laid on a concrete base with a Port- land cement grout .- Vitrified brick, cement base and grouted. -Bituminous macadam laid on a concrete base.
Powder House Square was constructed with a specially de- signed wearing surface, laid by contract.
(Tables showing quantities and cost in report of Street Commissioner) .
The total length of permanent paved streets in the city amounts to 17.1 miles.
Nine new streets have been constructed, under the better- ment act, with a bituminous macadam wearing surface, con- crete gutters and granite edgestone, a total length of 4,417 feet ; eight being done by contract (one of which is uncompleted) and one by day labor.
The average cost of this type of construction for a forty- foot street complete, by contract was $5.88 per linear foot, and by the city highway department, day labor, at a considerably higher cost.
Lines and grades have been given for setting 15,242 linear feet (2.88 miles) of new edgestone, 12,483 square yards (3.17 miles) of granolithic sidewalks and measurements taken for computing assessments ; 0.33 of a mile of edgestone has been reset and in addition to this 0.261 mile of granolithic sidewalk has been laid on private streets by property owners. (Table showing quantities and cost in report of Street Commissioner).
The average cost for the year has been as follows :-
For setting edgestone with gravel sidewalk by highway department . $1.15 per linear foot
For setting edgestone with gravel sidewalk by contract
1.08
per linear foot
Laying granolithic sidewalk, complete, by contract (including one year guarantee) . 1.56 per square yard
And the cost of materials furnished by contract :- Edgestone (straight) delivered at work
0.69
per linear foot
Edgestone (circle) delivered at work
0.87
per linear foot
Bricks delivered at work (sidewalks)
20.00
per M.
Bricks (vitrified) on cars (paving)
32.90
per M.
Cement (Portland) on cars
1.72
per barrel (net)
Sand and gravel on cars .
0.80
per cubic yard
Trap-rock delivered on work (various
sizes)
1.75 per ton average
From a comparison of the cost of constructing new streets, sidewalks, etc., by day labor and by contract for a number of
227
CITY ENGINEER.
years past, it would seem advisable to do by contract all new work, where approximately one-half of the total cost of con- struction 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 substituted in the place of brick.
Miles of Edgestone, Granolithic and Brick Sidewalks in Each Ward.
Edgestone
Gravel Sidewalk
Brick Sidewalk 12.093
Granolithic Sidewalks
Ward one
18.906
3.776
4.597
Ward two
16.189
6.150
6.637
3.394
Ward three
14.258
0.967
11.572
1.784
Ward four
15.227
1.492
9.993
3.756
Ward five
22.315
4.380
12.194
5.847
Ward six
24.721
4.921
10.678
10.072
Ward seven
31.382
2.930
8.462
21.148
Totals
142.998
24.616
71.629
50.598
Table of Street Construction.
Square Yards
Miles
*Streets paved with granite blocks
119,672
5.01
** Streets paved with concrete
23,990
1.42
¡Streets paved with asphaltic top
42,215
2.59
Streets paved with vitrified brick
20,958
1.29
Streets paved with "Bi-co-mac"
10,100
0.77
Streets paved with bitulithic (patent)
3,059
0.06
Combination pavement (concrete base with bituminous top)
90,121
5.98
¿Streets macadamized ("tarvia" bound)
33.23
Streets macadamized (water bound)
32.74
Streets graveled or unimproved
17.70
Total
100.79
* Also 31.9 miles (single track) electric railway paved with granite, asphalt, bitulithic, etc.
** Includes 0.42 miles state highway.
Includes 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 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.
Previous notice of the city's intended street improvements should be given to the various departments and interested cor- porations and ample time allowed for making all extensions and repairs of underground work; and no permission should
228
ANNUAL REPORTS.
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 opening can be made until these conditions are complied with satisfac- torily to the city.
The Boston Elevated Railway Company has made repairs in its roadbed in this city during the past year, replacing sec- tions of old tracks with new and heavier rails. There are a number of miles of trackage, however, in the city's main thor- oughfares where the old granite block pavement, within the railroad 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 32 miles of electric railroad (single track location) at the present time in the city's streets.
Where double tracks have been laid in streets, leaving nar- row 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 pavement, 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 accom- plished at a comparatively low rate by relaying each year, as the appropriation would allow, sections of the old granite paved streets with modern work and using the surplus recut 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 cor- rected 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 system 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 lo- cations of gas mains, poles, tracks and conduits in this city, which have been granted by the board of aldermen during the year; and the work of placing overhead wires in conduits underground and removing all poles from the streets should be extended as rapidly as possible:
At the present time there are underground in the city's
229
CITY ENGINEER.
streets 17.06 miles of telephone conduits, 12.42 miles of electric light conduits, 1.5 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 0.58 mile the past year.
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 un- derground 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 depart- ment, and in this manner the correct areas of land determined.
This set of plans would show the area and dimensions of each lot, all houses and other buildings, sewers, catch basins, house drains, water services, gas mains, underground conduits 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 appropriation 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 Registry 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 Reg- istry, 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 construction work for the elimination of these dangerous grade crossings should be continued until completed as decreed by the court ; the Park street crossing included in this decree is uncom- pleted.
The special automatic pump at Medford street installed for removing storm water from the subway under the steam
230
ANNUAL REPORTS.
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 satisfac- tory 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.
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 North 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 re- placed with a new bridge of modern design and thereby increas- ing the head-room in the street about two and one-half feet and improve the drainage where at present the traffic is seriously impeded.
City Boundary Lines.
In December, 1917, representatives appointed from the city of Somerville, and the city of Medford 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 division lines between Somerville and bordering cities, are out of plumb and should be reset.
A contemplated change in the boundary line between Som- erville 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.
231
CITY ENGINEER.
SEWER DIVISION.
Construction Account.
Statement of Expenses, 1917.
Constructing "separate system" sewers
$6,719 78
Constructing "combined
346 35 (assessments levied)
Constructing storm drains
.
2,005 26
Constructing new manholes on old sewers
346 70
Charged to other departments and ac-
93 12
counts
Materials on hand December 31 (excess .
561 15
1916)
.
Total expenditure
CREDIT.
Appropriation ($7,000) ($800) .
$7,800 00
Balance unexpended, 1916
7,688 35
Cash for freight and cement bags
208 19
Received from other departments and ac-
counts, labor and materials furnished
93 12
Total credit
$15,789 66
Balance unexpended (over to 1918) . $769 27
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 replaced by some difficult construction work. All materials have been furnished by the city, and the prices paid for supplies for the season have been by contract with the lowest bidder as follows :-
Sewer pipe (3 foot lengths)
71% discount from list price on cars
Sewer fittings
73% discount from list price on cars
Portland cement per barrel
$1.72 on cars (net)
Sand per cubic yard
0.80 on cars
Sewer bricks per M.
10.50 purchased at yard
Iron manhole and catch basin castings per hundred weight Catch basin traps, each .
2.48 delivered at yard
2.12 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.
$15,020 39
(assessments levied) . system" sewers
4,948 03
Constructing catch basins
232
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The "separate system" sewers (those built for house drainage only) should be extended in the older districts of the city yearly, until all the flooded districts have two complete systems of drainage, the old sewer to be used for storm and surface 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 twelve-inch pipe in the following localities :-
"Separate system" sewers in :-
Gordon Street,-Powder House Boulevard to near North Street.
Middlesex Avenue,-Winthrop Avenue, northerly (west- erly sidewalk).
Powder House Boulevard,-Woods Avenue to Gordon Street.
Rose Street,-Washington Street to near Lewis Street. Winthrop Avenue,-Mystic Avenue to Middlesex Ave. nue.
"Combined system" sewers in :-
Broadway,-Fenwick Street to near Bond Street.
Carter Terrace,-Summer Street southwesterly.
Storm drains in :-
Buena Vista Road,-Holland Street to near Lexington & Arlington Branch R. R.
Gordon Street,-Powder House Boulevard to near North Street.
Hillsdale Road,-Conwell Avenue to Sunset Road.
Middlesex Avenue,-Cummings Street northerly.
- Powder House Boulevard, -.- Woods Avenue to Gordon Street and across Boulevard.
Rogers Avenue,-Broadway southwesterly.
Rose Street,-Washington Street to near Lewis Street. West Adams Street,-Conwell Avenue to Bailey Street.
Summary of Work.
Fifteen new sewers and drains have been constructed dur- ing the year, a total length of 8,037.2 linear feet (1.522 miles) at a cost of $12,014.16; plans have been made showing these sewers in detail, and assessments levied on a portion of them, amounting to $3,172.20. (See tabular statement of sewers and drains for 1917, showing itemized statement of work and cost).
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