USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1934 > Part 16
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For years after the street railway line had closed down people in the Briggs Corner and Park Street section maintained they would be satisfied if only the City would have the rails removed and the section refilled with gravel. Re- peatedly this department informed the city government that such a temporary expedient would not, on its very face, give satisfaction of the proper sort to anybody, for several sound reasons. The department's prognostication once more proved to be the correct one. The sound fact that the horribly distorted road section on lower Park Street, became more noticeable after the rail removal, enhanced the clamor of our best citizens for definite improvement. A depres- sion budget cramped the plans which would permit the department's recom- mendation for an improved highway of stone quality to the extent that even with Federal aid the administration would be unable to supply funds for the material required. Tenaciously and persistently this department and the local E. R. A. officials sought a workable solution for the relief of the conditions complained of which would be within the purse limits of the City. Finally some classification obstacles which were barring road projects were hurdled because of the Federal recognition of the extraordinary circumstances which contributed toward present conditions and a project was approved by the E. R. A. officials on September 5. 1934, accompanied later by a special appropriation for materials by the City which would allow improvement on Park Street between Oak Hill Avenue and the Sanitarium. Prior to this and to show the good faith of the City this department in the month of June cleaned up an objectionable stump and in September, before any special funds were available, they not only started correcting the drainage within these limits of Park Street as described herein, but actually started work scarifiying between Wilmarth Street and Briggs Corner, expending the sum of $164.22, $88.81 of which was for labor and $75.41 of which was for materials. The bulk of the materials covered a gravel payment not provided for in the special account. The improved Federal aid project coming through at this time supplied the necessary punch to bring out and have voted a special appropriation of $4,000.00 as the City's contribution for the special account being described in another section of this report, providing funds for the carrying out of this improvement which our maintenance account initiated.
With the cost of the City's contribution on lower Park Street transferred to a special account we must not lose sight of the fact that between Brook and Sturdy Streets on Park Street, on a hard-pan hill, a project was obtained to cover 1,280 square yards (approximate) of improved standard 7" penetration road, replacing a macadam-blanketed section which was in unsatisfactory condition and allowing proper improvement to the Sturdy Hospital driveway, including proper drainage. The materials which the City contributed under this account in the amount of $695.98 consisted of top stone amounting to $286.40 and penetra- tion and seal binder in the amount of $360.59. Gravel, transportation and gaso- line charges absorbed the balance under this materials expenditure heading, whereas the labor item of $203.97 was for experienced help and supervision neces- sary to carry out the work in accordance with the project as submitted to the Federal government. On the scarifying and excavation no material was wasted by the department. The foundation of course was treated to prevent weakness during the frost-heave period. A stone base and top, in accordance with Massa-
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chusetts specifications, completed the work to the satisfaction of the Federal inspectors and the city officials. A total of 196 Tons of No. 1 Stone, 40 2-3 Tons of dust and 2 2-3 Tons of peastone are included in this E. R. A. project as part of the City's contribution for the base course. This stone is not charged off under this account and can be classified as part of the profit of our crusher plants. The market value, figured at less than code prices, would be approximately $212.26. This project necessitated also the repaving of gutters and in its entirety provided another definite Federal aid improvement.
Allow me to call to your attention the fact that in the special account for drainage improvement along County Street in the locality of First and Second Streets, while the pipe-lines were taken care of, the surfacing included was worked out by the department by combinations of circumstances of which this depart- ment for the City took the fullest advantage, necessitating under this account the expenditure of $333.25 for materials to close out the work. The marvelous advantages returned to the City for the expenditure cannot be lightly measured. It is to be hoped that as on South Main Street our consistent efforts to obtain the improvement of all of County Street will be crowned by success.
Despite the fact that we have been unable to obtain for one of our main arteries, South Main Street between the center and the Seekonk line, such special appropriations over the last few years as were needed to properly improve such an important highway, considerable advancement was made during the year on improving the route by co-ordinating for different Federal aid jobs.
As the year began work was in progress to eliminate a bad drainage and surface condition which existed between Atwell's and Smith's. This C. W. A. project extending for about 1,080 linear feet, as soon as the rail removal was completed and the drainage was taken care of, called for excavating within the curb line and rail elimination limits and refilling with gravel. This excavation, grading and gravel refill was taken care of and a light mixed No. 2 top worked into the section to fit the existing stone penetration surface, so that upon its completion there were added to the highway between Smith's ice-house driveway and At- well's Curve a total of approximately 1,320 square yards of a cheap but excellent surface which was treated later in the year with a cut-back asphalt binder and peastone. This protected and extended the life of the investment already made on this stretch of road whose average width was eleven feet. The Federal aid on the work of course started as C. W. A. and went into E. R. A.
In the locality of Chester Street and South Main Street we had a C. W. A. rail removal and drainage project which upon its completion indicated the need for surfacing. The Federal regulations in force at the time would not allow this improvement, so the writer had to develop, after repeated attempts, in a manner satisfactory to the Federal authorities, special aid for the work, due to the effects left by a previous Federal aid project. Success finally crowned the repeated efforts made and an E. R. A. project for surfacing South Main Street between Lamb Street and the end of the stone road southerly of the curve below Short Street was approved. In addition thereto the continuing of this penetration stone surfacing within the rail removal limits matched the existing stone road from this point to Thacher Brook bridge. This work was completed by essential excavation, sub-grading, gravel fill where necessary, stone base and penetration top. Sidewalks were lined, graded, graveled and dusted where there was no curbing. They were dressed where there was curbing. Considering the newness of the Federal payroll help employed a very excellent result was obtained. In further carrying out the work a dangerous spot was eliminated in its completeness by the removal of rail structures, excavation, gravel refill, etc., from the existing end of steel to the Mill-yard gate, so that on the East line (so-called) upon the completion of work as listed herein for this resurfacing account and with Federal aid no rails were present until just southerly from the Dodgeville Mill-yard gate. The southerly section of this work had an average width of 10.5 feet, was ap- proximately 531 feet long and covered about 619 square yards of penetration surface to the curb line from the matched line of the present pavement.
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The great bulk of the expenditure for the City's part of this work was for materials. Ingenious methods were taken advantage of to extend the value of our municipal dollar.
Having arrived at this point decisive efforts were made which would continue the rail removal with its essential stone penetration replacement surfacing and the rounding of the corner just southerly of the Mill-yard gate to obtain full advantage in the interests of public safety of the tree removal which our citizens had clamor- ed for. This permitted favorable opportunity for a number of men on Federal aid projects living in this section to work and save carfare. The work extended for approximately 1,824 linear feet with an average width of 11.25 feet and added 2,260 square yards of penetration surface to South Main Street. This now ex- tended the rail removal limits through this job and the one put in a few years back past St. Stephen's church to a point in the locality of the cemetery entrance north- erly of Thurber Avenue.
In the village a number of abutting property-owners utilized the opportunity to obtain firewood from ties available from rail removal work. It must be noted the supervision and such other special payroll as was required from the City comprised but a minor part of the charges for the work. The bulk of the City's charges were for materials, especially stone and asphalt.
With the Fall season present a further drive was made with funds available to continue the rail removal and stone penetration construction replacement from the cemetery down past the Thurber Avenue crossing to a point below the old South Main Street intersection notherly of Atwell's curve. Work had to stop here through no fault of the Public Works Department. It is only fair that we should be grateful for the splendid results obtained including and considering all four projects outlined on South Main Street for the year 1934, on the basis of dollars invested by the City in its regular road maintenance account and not calling for special appropriation. Few people indeed will realize that the last work mentioned with its road surface replacement of 1,765 square yards gave us for the year on South Main Street a total of 11,332 square yards of improved surface to be added to our area of used vehicular ways.
Immediately work stopped here steps were taken toward obtaining further access to Federal aid in completing the rail removal and stone road replacement all the way to the Seekonk line. Considerable red tape, however, has cropped up in the meantime on projects of this sort for several reasons which we locally cannot control. The task is not apt to be an easy one.
It will be necessary to further seal some of this South Main Street work which was put in toward the latter part of the year.
On Thacher Street, between South Avenue and West Street, considerable benefit was obtained for our tax-payers for the very small expenditure of $71.51 for supervisory labor and materials on an E. R. A. street widening project which included this piece of road and allowed some rock excavation and embankment cutting on narrow curves.
On West Street, between Tiffany Street and Carpenter's house, advantages were obtained for approximately the same amount of money, also under an E.R.A. widening project, the City's supervision amounting in this case to $79.45. This did not prevent serious consideration for the need for improving West Street from North Main Street westerly. After repeated attempts and hurdling of many obstacles a rail removal project which included this part of West Street, also North Avenue, was put through. Work was done in this part of West Street toward which this account contributed $152.65 mostly for labor and some materials. This work took care of tie removal, permitted excavation and started gravel refill and grading to the street line on the car-track side, following the rail removal by the Interstate Transit Corporation. Season of the year and the consideration of approval for a stone road for West Street between North Main Street and Water Street caused a lapse for completion on this West Street work so that it could blend into the new highway improvement authorized.
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Record, however, the fact that West Street between North Main Street and South Avenue had been improved considerably at small expense to the City, whose contribution was obtained from regular highway maintenance accounts and not from special appropriations.
On Wilmarth Street in the locality of Pike Avenue a sizeable E. R. A. im- provement under widening outside roads took place. Considerable material was removed from the cut, widening it out so that a much better opportunity could be given toward keeping the road open during snow-storms, allowing also more width so that two large vehicles could pass. From the double-barreled culvert just easterly one barrel was moved and the fill carrying the road widened and strengthened so that with a small dam and ponded area upstream from the high- way there was no reason to doubt the improvement made. Also in conjunction with this, boulder work and blasting was taken care of as it cropped up. The City's contribution was obtained from this account under highway maintenance and operation.
Practically no word reaches the newspapers concerning the great immediate advantage some of our outside roads have had in grading, widening and rock removal which has taken place under country road widening projects this de- partment was instrumental in working up. Our rural population on some of these roads widened and worked on have always extended themselves to show their appreciation. I deem it only fair to call to your attention the fact that this work can be considered favorably from several different view-points and constitutes, on the basis of City expenditures with no special appropriation, a valued record of accomplishment.
DRAINS MAINTENANCE
This account was active from the very first of the year in permitting the continuance of C. W. A. Federal aid projects which were operated under different fiscal year limits than those which the city government holds. .
As has been indicated in a 1933 report, full advantage was taken to obtain structures such as drains, which while concealed from the public glance, when finished consistently and constantly serve a major purpose, fully recognized as basic from an engineering point of view in supplying improvement to public works, from which everybody in and out of the community using the highways reaps benefit over an extended period of years. Ample truth of this statement is supplied by our laws and statutes, particularly those with reference to borrowing for drainage improvements.
Carried over into January, 1934, with the C. W. A. work at Chester and South Main Streets, preliminary to the road improvement and carried out in conjunction with the rail removal, was a drainage improvement of importance to this locality. Under this account for the work was carried a labor item of $442.56 and a materials expenditure totaling $349.48, chargeable as part of the City's 1934 contribution. Maintenance funds provided the money. No special appropriation was made for the work. The labor item was payroll for supervision and trained personnel which was necessary to obtain a proper result from the completely untrained Federal payroll organization. The materials consisted of stone, sand, twenty-inch pipe connections, jute and other small items, gas, oil, etc., such as we were unable to obtain as part of the Federal grant for materials. The work, considering the season and circumstances, was carried out in a satisfactory manner with provisions included therein to adequately care for future improvements in the locality and constituting the basis for a prac- tical, urgent highway surfacing request, note of which is made above under re- surfacing.
Peck Street, in the locality of the Gee-Whiz railroad, which for a great many years supplied chronic drainage complaints, was another project started under the C. W. A. and developed into E. R. A. which was carried out from the City's side of the expense under this account. All of the work in this project such as
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drainage pipe-lines, catch-basins and manhole structures, gutters and street surfacing changes were taken care of in their completeness during the forepart of the year as was projected and as has been outlined in the 1933 report. The Federal aid for the project had been cramped, eliminating opportunity to obtain the material we would have liked to had, this being one of the places where the Federal policy of taking care of labor if the City would take care of the materials was practically started in this city. In addition to the outlined work we obtained on Peck Street there were 1,188 square yards of penetration surfacing placed, with returns and essential approaches, to comprehensively accommodate the changed gutter and curbing and cement sidewalks which had been put in as part of the plan. A marvelous improvement was made here which is acclaimed by all familiar with it as a real step of progress which the community had been waiting decades for.
At Olive Street an opportunity to extend work already started to County and Eldredge Streets, material for which had been made available, was carried out under the E. R. A., giving us a leg on one of the drainage improvements on County Street needed before rail removal and rebuilding of the street. A second E. R. A. leg on County Street long needing attention was the drainage at First County and Highland Streets, which was expected to include, owing to the location of the proposed drain pipe, rail removal within its drainage limits and a pavement replacement. All of this work made a project having superb commen- dation from residents and tax-payers local thereto who have had an opportunity to closely acquaint themselves with the benefits derived therefrom.
The rail being removed within reasonable drainage limits, a drain-pipe line, manholes and catch-basins having been built in accordance with the project plans, gutters were paved and the street section and return on First and County Streets improved to accommodate the project. A piece of penetration roadway built to section, covering a distance of 1,072 linear feet and amounting to 1,110 square yards, with an average width outside of the two-foot gutter meeting the old road of 9.25 feet, was completed within the limits of the work, starting from the new gutter line on County Street. Thus the results obtained, as far as the work was allowed to proceed, have been of positive benefit, culminating in a considerable demand to have County Street improvement in its completeness continued to County Square.
An additional E. R. A. drainage proposition was constructed in the middle of the year on Park Street in the vicinity of Robbins Street. This was not only a primary step toward the continued improvement of Park Street in this locality, from the Speedway to Sturdy Street, but also preceded the improvement of a driveway to the Sturdy Hospital entrance, long needed and finally accomplished. The drainage work, of course, was properly carried out in accordance with the projected line and grade changes on the roadway and driveway. On all of these drainage propositions it is well to note that as circumstances forced us, we were able to take up the slack either in beginning or finishing of the work to its utmost limits, by the judicious use of funds from our highway maintenance account under the drains maintenance sub-division.
Another substantial drainage project, material for which was obtained through special appropriations, had a labor supervision account handled from our maintenance funds. This was essential in order that the work could proceed and to carry out the terms required when the project was obtained. This drainage proposition was on West Street and North Avenue. West Street, of course, required the work in order to precede the pavement improvement which was expected. In North Avenue the work logically could be carried on apace of the rail removal to prevent delay if and whenever the city government saw fit to provide funds for an improved roadway on this much-used route which would complete the improvement the department desires in the locality.
As has been mentioned, prior to the special account for the improvement of Park Street, work had been started and a few dollars expended from this account on drainage improvement in the locality of No. 1441 Park Street. The work in process was continued under the special account.
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A major E. R. A. drainage project laid along similar lines to the West Street and North Avenue drainage project coupled Oak, Pleasant, Horton Streets and Gustin Avenue and went across private land belonging to the General Plate Company to an outfall at the Thacher Brook drain. Excellent co-operation was given us in the necessary easements by this company. The supervisory labor was taken care of by this account under highway maintenance and operation, while a special appropriation was initiated for materials, the charges for some of which will be delayed until our transportation record is permitted to be completed by payment for deferred truck charges which are bound to accrue and for which the City assumes the responsibility in obtaining credit for rentals on E. R. A. projects.
After consultation and study with the Mayor and Municipal Council mem- bers toward the end of the year the purchase of some materials was allowed to initiate a much needed and long desired drainage system on the back of County Hill from Mechanic Street through Third Street, up to Prospect Street and through Fourth Street up to Jefferson Street. This work, of course, when completed will eliminate the destructive force of volume and velocity of surface water which up to now we have had to constantly resist in this particular locality. In addi- tion, the very deep cross-gutters at the street intersection on Third and Fourth Streets, long a source of complaint, will be eliminated and a sizeable improvement in completing County Hill drainage will become an established fact after many years of trial.
In addition to all of this work this maintenance account has had to care for the regular cleaning of catch-basins and absorb such small general charges as we were by necessity made to pick up. Current repairs on our structures were taken care of. A great deal of this maintenance work has been postponed with the idea that ultimately we can obtain funds for and organize a program to continue our standardization on catch-basins and manholes. It is a remarkable fact that the appropriating body does not seem to realize that the greater the number of catch-basins and manholes there are to look after and clean, the greater the funds available should be for the work to keep up to standard. Only by skillfully utilizing all types and kinds of labor possible to obtain from the several different combinations we have had to use did we have satisfactory results.
STREET SWEEPING
As long ago as 1920 the street sweeping sub-division under the highway maintenance and operation account carried an expenditure of $2,611.32.
Since then the department, with work increased a great deal by the area taken care of by our forces, reduced the amount expended to $1,500.00. In 1933, by making advantageous to the task present conditions which were abnormal, the annual expenditure in this sub-division was $1,200.00. During 1934, with con- siderable study, and by taking full advantage of every possible aid, this amount was still further reduced to $507.56.
Few people can appreciate the fact that in 1934, with a great deal more work to do, it was accomplished with an expenditure approximating only twenty percent of that of 1920. With normal conditions, because of the very much increased work present under this account, we cannot reasonably hope to main- tain the 1934 figure.
STREET CLEANING
People should differentiate between cleaning where the loop area is con- cerned and the work performed in other localities in hoeing and lining gutters with our road-scrapers, the need for which is very important in highway main- tenance, not only for the sake of appearance, but for practical benefits which are obtained from this work. Our outside roads especially have at least got to be
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kept to present width, or widened to accommodate the ever increasing traffic problem present thereon, due to the normal use of these lightly constructed highways by all types of vehicles, up to and in excess of the legal weight limit and dimension. Proper permits should be obtained for such traffic as is outside of the usual legal conditions imposed by our statutes and ordinances.
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