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217
<br />
<br />will be raised to a high plane.
<br />
<br />Respectfully submitted,
<br />
<br />Thomas H, Reid
<br />~. S. Drummond
<br />W. B. Anderson
<br />Ulysses Go Wilson
<br />O. 0. Jones ~-
<br />
<br />Oommittee."
<br />
<br />March 6th,
<br />
<br /> On motion, referred to the 0ity Manager to confer with the Supt. of Schools.
<br /> The following communication from the 0ity Manager was read:
<br />
<br /> "In the~ matter of substituting buses f~r street ca~s, I beg to report that on
<br />I wrote the Virginia Electric & Power 0ompany, as follows:
<br /> ' I am hastening to bring to a. conclusion the ~uestion of substi-
<br /> tution of bus service for trolley car service, withYn the Oity, inas-
<br /> much as the Federal ~appropriation of funds for repaying High St., from
<br /> Orawford to 0hestnut St. will be withdrawn unless the work is completed
<br /> by July of this year. Furthermore, the Highway Oommission is now adver-
<br /> tising, for bids for this project. It is, therefore, obvious that an agree-
<br /> merit must be reached at an early date or the caving and track work in High
<br /> St. must proceed. ''
<br /> In Mr. Holtzclaw' s letter to the Council, dated December 6th, 1935,
<br /> a proposition is made to the effect that the 0orporation will pay to the
<br /> Oity the sum of $65,.000.00, in consideration of the Oity~s assumption of
<br /> responsibility for the tracks.
<br /> .No figures or information are given as to how the sum of $65,000.00
<br /> is arrived at 'and it appears to me to be a purely arbitrary sum. Based upon
<br /> estimates which our Engineering Department has compiled, the sum appears to
<br /> me to be inadequate. For instance, should the Oity accept~ the propo.sition,
<br /> it will find itself in the position of having received $65,000~B0 wmth
<br /> which to remove the track structures, repays the streets in the paved sureas
<br /> and smooth up the road beds, which, in accordance with your full franchise
<br /> requirements, is estimated to cost $120,707.00, without taking into consi-
<br /> deration the assumption of certain maintenance obligations whicha re now
<br /> the Traction 0ompan? s
<br /> In substituting responsibility.
<br /> buses for cars, the Traction Company will be re ~
<br /> lieved of all franchise obligations for twenty-one years to come, such as
<br /> maintenance ~f present structures and cost of track structures, pavements
<br /> and maintenance of streets to be paved during the next twenty-one years.
<br /> The paving of High St., from 0rawford to 0hestnut, must.proceed
<br /> without delay, and if the Traction Oompany is not relieved of m~s fran-
<br /> chise obligations, the rebuilding of the track structure on this street
<br /> Wil~ cost at least $3~D,000., whzca means ~hat your ~mmed~ate offer to us
<br /> does not represent $ 5,000. t? you: .out rather thms amount, less the
<br /> $35,000., or about $30,000° om a ddltmonal outlay.
<br /> Your O. ompany is now responsible for the .maintenance of 26,500. sq.
<br /> yds~ of paved roadways and 53,000 sG. yds. of dmrt roadways. T.he. Engineer-
<br /> ing Department estimates that the annual maintens~uce cos~ on th~s item
<br /> will amount to $1,370. T.he franchise now has twenty-one years to run and
<br /> it is reasonable to assume that (interest not included) the maintenance
<br /> for ~wenty-one years will cost the Oity 21 times $1,370., or a total of
<br /> $28,770.
<br /> The 0ompany now operates on tracks in unpaved areas in paved
<br /> szreets. Traffic now shuns these areas, due to the presence of the rails,
<br /> but as soon as the rails are removed, this area will become available to
<br /> traffic and the City will be calid upon to keep it in good condition, or
<br /> pave it. If these areas are paved to conform to the balance of the
<br /> streets, the cost will be as follows, based on present prices:
<br /> Mtr Vernon Ave. (concrete) 15000 yds.@ 2.00 30,000.00
<br /> Detroit, Hill & 0aro!in~ (tar macadam) ~554 yds.@ 1.60 7,270.00
<br /> High, 9th to Mt. Vernon (concrete) 5333 yds.@ 2.00 10,666.00
<br /> Elm Ave.,Jefferson to Highland (concrete) 105~ yds.@ 2.00 2~115.00
<br />
<br /> Total ........ 25935 yds. $50,050.00
<br /> To pave the 25,935 yds. with li==ht macadam will cost $30,000.00 or
<br /> to merely shape and surface-treat these areas will cost an initial outlay
<br /> of $5,200.00 and an annual treatment cost of $1,300.00.
<br /> I'~rea?lize that thB foregoing statement relative to costs which
<br /> will fall upon the Oity, after the tracks have gone, is "no business" of
<br /> the Traction 0ompany, yet in viewing the question from the City's stand-
<br /> point, they just can'~ be ignored.
<br /> I believe that a~y settlement which may be made, should be the
<br /> re,att of the use of available figures, rather than an arbitrary amount.
<br /> In the following tabulation, I ~m s~tting foxth the figures which I be-
<br /> lieve should govern the amount to be paid to the Oity:
<br />
<br /> (1) Total cost of removing the tracks,
<br /> structures and repaying the s~reets
<br /> in paved areas $10?,550.00
<br /> Oost of removing ~rack structures
<br /> and smoothing up street surface in
<br /> dirt areas t3~157.00 $120,707.00
<br />
<br />
<br />
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