USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1924 > Part 10
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At Water Street the guard fences were painted and a cobble gutter laid to approach the basin reported in the previous report. There was money transferred from this account to allow the work on the Dunham Street Thacher Brook crossing to be constructed.
The old wooden structure at Dunham Street crossing Thacher Brook was badly in need of repair, particularly underneath the decking. A short study was made and it was decided to replace the existing structure by repairing the abutments, pouring a concrete slab, and installing a pair of catch basins to handle the gutter flow at the westerly side of the bridge. Funds were made available and the abutments were brought into line and grade, after which the concrete slab for the roadway and two sidewalks was poured. Besides standard gratings were built on the westerly side of the stream at the bridge basins and the overflow was connected through the westerly abutment with the brook. A guard fence was set where need- ed on the down stream side and three foot returns were placed at the end of short pieces of curb to act as wheel guards for travel coming onto the bridge from the east. All of this work was completed with the personnel of the department, and a very satisfactory result obtained with a minimum expenditure.
Prior to this work at Dunham Street, the department had replaced at School Street over Thacher Brook a wooden decking with a concrete slab in a similar manner. The basins at School Street, however, are not carrying standard gratings and were included at this time at very small cost as an expedient to cover the immediate demand, bearing in mind the probable further improvements westerly from the creek in drainage con- trol on School Street. The engineering department is expected to submit something on this improvement in the coming year. It is a pleasure to record these two concrete crossings at Thacher Brook, as we have had in the past several calls on holidays and Sundays to make small repairs, at these locations.
On Newport Avenue southerly from Highland Avenue where the 6" water extension had passed, an old stone culvert was uncovered and found to be in need of replacement. This is located between Irving Avenue and Orr Street. The forty-eight feet of 15" corrugated iron pipe and bands used here was taken from stock that had been purchased under drains. The labor will show as consolidated on the double barrel 30" culvert which handles the brook draining the large swamp area westerly of the race track. The crossing of the highway at this brook has always been rather dangerous in these modern times because of the fact that two vehicles could not pass within the limits of the approaches. Therefore some 30" galvanized corrugated iron pipe which was a surplus from the South Main Street drain was utilized and an additional piece purchased, which shows in this account, to construct a double barrel culvert about thirty-three (33') feet long. A channel guard dry wall and a wing wall were laid up on the upstream side of the culvert to meet the head wall which was set. On the down stream side the head wall was not completed, but some heavy granite stone was hauled in for this work. A tree adjacent to the brook was cut down and it was found that the stump will have to be removed before the completion of the down stream walls. The approach fills were made and the culvert put into use late in the year. It is expected that this work will be completed as soon as it is reasonably possible after the Spring rains.
The continuity of our program replacing with new fence as much as possible of the guard fences along our railroad approaches, or bad river bends, was maintained on Lamb Street, Olive Street, Starkey Avenue,
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Holden Street, and Thacher Street. These fences with a couple of coats of white paint are of considerable aid to traffic safety many people report to this office.
I wish to be recorded as very strongly in favor of continuing this new fence construction in annual sequence at our dangerous highway points so that the future will not find us in the same fix tht we were in recently, i. e., all of our approach fences broken down because of being approximately the same age.
It is well to mention at this time that the Thacher Street overpass at the New Haven Railroad and the approach fences seem to have been neglected in detail in the order promulgated by the County Board in di- recting that this construction be completed. Whereas the original peti- tion for the work was from the railroad company, and prior to the last act governing grade separation in this State, the finality of settlement as to who shall pay the charges against this bridge maintenance seems to me a point to be settled by our legal experts. The work performed by this department on the fences was demanded by public safety. The work on the bridge and sidewalk which is included in our miscellaneous bridge re- pairs also has been demanded by public necessity. However, a real understanding should be brought about at once between the New Haven Railroad and the City of Attleboro covering in detail the requirements at this location, and I recommend that the necessary steps be taken to consummate this agreement.
Besides the new fence which we mention in our attached statistical list, numerous small repairs have been made on most all of our guard rails as required either by wear and tear or having been struck by some vehicle. Material for these repairs has been purchased to maintain our stock in the yard, and what fence rail we expected to use until the early spring has been purchased and primed.
Under our miscellaneous bridge repairs, bridge planks have been set on Brook Street board walk; washouts on the fill around the fence posts on Brown Street have been repaired; emergency lights put out on the South Main Street bridge at Dodgeville to aid the public safety; and the slopes at the Hebronville mill overpass bridge have been built up to some extent. On Knight Avenue, where a sidewalk crossing had been rebuilt a fence was reset and some small repair work was done on the overpass foot bridge at Hebronville. At Pike Avenue, Lindsey Street, Starkey Avenue, Thacher Street, Mendon Road, Thurber Avenue, and sidewalk at Pleasant View, new planking was required and set to replace that which was worn out. On May Street using some surplus stock from the yard at a culvert crossing westerly from Washington Street guard rails were constructed. At Read Street back of the Braid Mill a bridge crossing the Seven Mile River should be replaced at the first opportunity as the trucks using this bridge are constantly going into larger sizes.
It is my understanding that a gravel bank has been opened up over there very recently and this bridge is due to get a severe pounding. The river bridge over the Bungay River at Holden Street, which has to be watched and repaired frequently is also in urgent need of replacement. If this work is not recommended in 1925, it is our intention to utilize materials which we have on hand to strengthen this structure consider- ably. At the present time this bridge has been posted for six tons. On Maple Street crossing Thacher Brook is an old wooden deck on stone abutments which is not correct for grade or line, and is bound to need replacement in the very near future. This has been kept in passable
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repair but as this highway is a main connecting highway between County Street, South Main Street and Pine Street on one side, with Park Street, and the road to Briggs Corner, Rehoboth, and Taunton on the other, I feel that the expenditure required to do a proper job on this crossing would be well worth while.
SIDEWALKS.
The best efforts of our interested people in the past in endeavoring to establish a progressive sidewalk improvement policy covering a term of years and going into all sections of our city seemed to have failed. The large ratio of increase on light motor vehicles on our highways, however, forces the attention of our pedestrians to the need for a sidewalk with ex- cellent surface and long life. In order to insure its proper use, this improv- ed walk must be more attractive than our smooth improved highway. The decision made by the duly constituted authorities to place the"White Way" duct lines within the limits of our sidewalks in the center forced an issue on sidewalk replacement which I believe has resulted beneficially to the city.
This department has always urged a point in favor of generous appropriations for extending our granite curb and laying granolithic cement sidewalks. It has been noticed that an extensive stretch of this type of sidewalk is usually an excellent salesman for further yardage. It has also been noticed that the ladies particularly, with their light shoes, show a real appreciation of this improved type of walk and exhibit this appreciation by their constant use of the improvement. Words are not adequate to express the lasting benefit to the merchants and the com- munity in general of a real first-class sidewalk.
SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE.
Our older sidewalks in the city here are constantly crying for attention. With the gravel, cinder or stone dust walk, where there is no curb, the constant effect of rains is shown in a new crop of gullies after each heavy storm. I do not feel that.it is a proper kind of walk for the city to be responsible for, and I am sure this department will appreciate the ex- tension of granite curb and the further installation of a permanent type of walk. Our tar concrete walks seem to have given all that could have been expected from them. It is noticeable, however, that we have many, bad places in our sidewalks where the surface is tar concrete from violent frost heaves indicative of poor foundation as well as from raised root heaves caused by constant enlargement of main root fibers from the trees which are set in our sidewalks. I am heartily in favor of retaining any trees that can be maintained without too great an expenditure in our highways. However, I believe that we have locations where the trees are spaced too close and as a result they nullify our lighting effort, menace our pedestrians, as mentioned above, force their fibers into our sanitary sewers and drains to the detriment of the public health and comfort, re- sist the efforts of the sun to dry out the highway surface and in general cause the city departments to expend money which is not apparent to the uninitiated observer.
On Newport Avenue where the stone road section was built in the late fall, it was deemed advisable to establish to a proper outline the side- walk, and in doing this work $110.00 was spent for the labor and no charge was made for the soft coal cinders which came from our Pumping Station. A question is apparent in the advisability of continuing and extending this policy in South Attleboro village.
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Accompanying this report is a list of the streets worked upon under this account and a distribution of the material and labor as worked out.
Replacing Cement and Concrete Sidewalks
When the G. M. Gest Company awarded the contract by the Attleboro Steam & Electric Light Company for installing their duct during the past year, had back filled their trenches, it was found necessary to replace some improved granolithic cement sidewalks and it was deemed advisable also to replace with tar patch some of the sidewalks on streets of lesser importance. The substitution of granolithic cement walks for this tar concrete was taken up with the owners whenever a likely opportun- ity presented itself by His Honor, the Mayor, and his efforts in this di- rection were responsible for many additional yards of cement concrete above the original estimate, as you will notice in checking up the total number of yards in the contract under sidewalks and curbing.
In replacing the cement sidewalks, Olof Pearson, was called in and submitted a satisfactory day work program. Our Engineer was directed to keep in touch with unit costs under this program and has reported that for this sort of work they were very reasonable. The average unit price per square yard closely approximates the submitted contract price for the year, and I believe shows a worthy spirit of cooperation from the con- tractor and his men. The unit is a variable one depending upon the exact local conditions of course.
Louis Allard, a tar concrete contractor, also submitted some samples of his work for our approval. I consider this work expensive in its final result. As the funds dwindled and the area to be covered still remained large, late in the year the city forces mixed up a cheap patch and took pains to cover as much of the open area as possible before real heavy winter weather set in. It is expected that what few places were not taken care of this year will have either a tar concrete patch or a new cement walk in the coming year. The usual statement of distribution accompanies this report.
SIDEWALKS AND CURBING.
This account takes care of our granite curbing extensions and our permanently improved sidewalks, However, I wish to call your attention at this time to the fact that under sidewalk maintenance when the abutter has dealt with a satisfactory contractor in cash building a walk suitable to our engineer, the city, through this department, has deemed it advisable to pay its share. Each year a few people seem to take advantage of this workable understanding and as a result Mr. Crosby and Mrs. Elsbree on Beacon Street, and the G. A. R. Building owners and Mr. Snell on County Street have received a granolithic walk under the above conditions.
On Fourth Street, on Jackson Street, and on Robert Street between Wolfenden and Sixth Streets long stretches of new curb were set. On Hodges Street at Elizabeth, and at Mechanic Street some round corners were put in under this account, and on Elizabeth Street a short piece of curb was set and also some sidewalk in front of Mr. Brown's property. As yet this has not been completed as there is no gutter set and the assessment will be made upon completion of this work.
On Park Street a dressed curbing which had been paid for from the 1923 funds was set in front of the Bank Building, adjacent to Railroad Avenue. On Railroad Avenue the Standard curb required to parallel the new building was purchased and set in order that the granolithic walk
.
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might be constructed before the arrival of winter leaving the way access- ible for the merchants located upon this street. The curb for this work was paid for under this account, whereas the labor was charged off under sidewalk maintenance. There was no betterment assessment carried on this work under the terms of the taking, and the decision therefore was made to pay for labor under sidewalk maintenance.
CROSSWALKS AND TRAFFIC PAINTING.
There will perhaps be noticed under machinery and tools the purchase of a small machine which has been of great service in marking out parking spaces and crosswalks here in our city. I am firmly convinced that for the work performed, which will include under this item the labor and material, the resulting unit price per foot will compare very favorably with any of our neighbors in this section.
THACHER BROOK AND TEN MILE RIVER.
We were able in the spring and fall of the year to send men familiar with the task along the Thacher Brook drain clearing out brush, rubbish, and other types of blockade which interfered with the continuity of flow along this creek. The results obtained were well worth while as com- plaints from this brook during the past year have been entirely absent.
At intervals, when the proper conditions made it available, some of our men were put into the Ten Mile River to clean out its worst portions between Mechanic Street and the Railroad. The problem as presented by this river is more complex than appears to the casual observer. It has been noticed and reported by our men that several of the factory buildings adjacent to the river are the main sources for considerable of the material blockading the flow. Also instances are called to our attention of people ' dumping adjacent to the river in such a way that high water reaches the rubbish allowing some of it to be carried into the channel. His Honor, the Mayor, as I understand it, upon being informed of these conditions in several instances has taken the matter up with the owners so that I believe we may look for some improvement in the future. However, it is a matter that will require considerable attention and I am sure the earnest cooperation of all of the abutting owners along the Ten Mile River will be appreciated by everybody interested in a low maintenance charge in properly keeping clear the channel.
DRAINS-MAINTENANCE.
The established policy of cleaning our basins at last twice during the year and in special instances, such as under the arches, as often as is war- ranted, was carried out in a proper manner by men who were familiar with this work. It is true, however, that in rare instances some of the very small basins which we are replacing as often as the opportunity and money are available gave us some trouble through heavy rains. At Park and Brook Streets, there were four of these basins which besides being in- adequate became dangerous and they were entirely rebuilt with much larger sand catchers, standard gratings, and throat stones.
On Robert Street, between Wolfenden and Sixth Streets, there was a mean condition which was properly eliminated by the construction of two catch basins with out-fall connections to the 30" pipe carrying the brook under the street adjacent to these basins. This construction will, I feel sure, improve greatly the conditions which have existed heretofore at these locations. It was necessary to make some small repairs to drains and basins on Garden Street, South Avenue, Union Street, in front of the Fire Station, and at the northeasterly corner of Peck and Bank Streets.
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There was also charged off under this account four 12' lengths of 15" pipe, and two 12' lengths of 20" pipe made of pure iron corrugated, which were used on the Newport Avenue extension (see B. F. C.). Labor for the installations will be recorded under the bridge account.
SNOW AND ICE.
In reviewing the snow and ice problems of the past year, January stands out as a very open month with light snow fall. February increases considerably over January, but still can be considered as a good outside working month. In March, when winter was considered to be practically gone, we got some very severe weather involving considerable snow fall. This was really the heavy month of the year, as our closing months, Nov- ember and December gave us practically no trouble at all as far as the weather was concerned; but for the necessity of putting our plant into condition and making proper preparations our expenditures would have been practically nil for these last two months.
In itemizing the account, the bulk of our charges are covered by our payrolls. There are, however, different materials such as salt, snow plow repair parts, truck operating charges, tractor snow cleats and operating charges, sizeable barn charges, because of our need for holding horses for sidewalk work and storm covers for horses, as well as rain coats and boots, etc., for the men. It may be well to mention at this time that when other cities around us, even the large ones, were unable to maintain in face of the weather their forces at work on clearing up the storm, the personnel in this department never faltered but carried their work right through the storm and continued until the back of the blockade was broken. Con- siderable credit goes to these men for the efforts so splendidly given in the time of public need.
STREET SWEEPING.
Employed as regular street sweeping patrolmen for the past year are two old men who without doubt are doing their best. It has been deemed advisable, however, because of necessity at different times to send in some of our other forces to aid in properly taking care of the street sweeping job in the center. It is necessary, in my opinion, to differentiate between the two regular sweepers. McCarthy is a man who has been in the employ of this community as a town and city for a very great number of years, and I feel as though he should be taken care of either with a pension or some other proper means as may be decided upon. The other man without question does as well as his health will permit, but as he has only been in in the employ of the city for a couple of years, I do ifot believe the depart- ment has the same responsibility which it has in the first case. It is ex -. pected that there probably will be some changes in the near future to ac- comodate the demands that it is expected will arise. I might add at this time that our citizens by using more care, and our merchants by handling their own individual problems could be of material aid in keeping present- able our public highways. It is also possible in my opinion that the officers on the center beats could be a valuable aid in maintaining a cleaner appearance.
STREET PATCHING.
As time goes by and the constantly increasing number of vehicles using our highways continues, and the persistent using of chains in the icy eather is allowed, as well as consideration of the ever expanding tendency to utilize the highways twelve months in the year, the problem of street patching can be appreciated in a community such as ours having a large
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road mileage, large area, and relatively small population and valuation. It is further necessary to bear in mind that there are miles of untreated roads which were never before utilized to any great extent for current. traffic. There are also miles of lightly treated roads for which funds for replacement cannot reasonably be expected to come out of our real estate. Other expensive maintenance is where our street railroads have to peck and patch constantly because of their poor financial condition. This policy on their part has caused and is causing this city considerable ex- pense. Because of the experience of this department, I think that at this time it is only fair to remark on the conditions, as mentioned above, which are bound to impose a continually increasing burden over a period of years on the real estate and business of the city. Therefore, I feel that all of our responsible citizens should become interested enough in the problem to aid in establishing a proper assessment of charges to cover our highway im- provements along lines laid out by our governor.
The tank on the Maynard Street property is being used so that with our tar patch in bulk this has been a good investment for our department.
The details of our accompanying statistics will illustrate the wide range of ground and the sizeable amount of material utilized under this account.
STREET CLEANING.
The Cleveland tractor purchased last year has again been used in the spring and fall scraping and has really given splendid service doing this kind of work. Considering our traffic conditions, it seems to me that a tractor a size larger would be a good piece of machinery to invest in to cover the heavy road scraping and back road snow plowing which will be de- manded from now on. In the center in addition to the spring and fall cleaning of gutters there were instances where streets were accumulating a particularly heavy litter of gutter dirt which was picked up. In spite of the previous recommendations, for relief for the problem of fall cleaning nothing seems to have been done. This past fall we were particularly for- tunate in that we were able to burn without trouble or risk a very consid- erable amount of the fallen leaves.
After the budget had been made up, and when additional factors of improvements had cropped into the program, through necessity the expen- ditures under this account were curtailed as much as was possible to aid other items. It is only reasonable to believe that this was possible because of the record work done by our tractor last year and this spring.
DUST LAYER AND TAR.
The policy of comparing past years with the coming year for the expenditure under this account prior to the publishing of the seasonal price on the road oil products, is not a logical one in my opinion. I believe that there are numerous factors which should enter into the estimate governing the needs projected under this account, and not the least of these is the price for the maximum expenditure, an item which is approximately sixty percent of the total; that is road oils, asphalt and tar. As the side streets in and about our center continue to improve through their annual appli- cations of black oil the problem is presented as to when the turn over period will arrive based on the different sets of prices which will make re- sonable the next grade of improved surface for these streets. In the coming years costs will be worked out and compared, so that a conservative progressive program may originate to cover our coming needs. During
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