GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC

FINANCIAL AND PROJECT DATA FOR HIGHWAY PROGRAM

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICA OF COLUMBIA, Washington, D.C., May 4, 1964.

Hon. WALTER N. TOBRINER,
President, Board of Commissioners,

District of Columbia Government, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. TOBRINER: In reference to H.R. 11022, which has been introduced at the request of the Board of Commissioners, this letter is written since it is apparent that considerable additional information will be necessary for the committee in connection with its study of the proposed increase in the gasoline tax and the increased borrowing authority for the highway fund. Although the bill is very brief, substantial fiscal and policy questions are involved necessitating much more information than is available to us at this time.

As you know, the District government sought and obtained an increase in gasoline taxes to their present level and the authorization of $50,250,000 borrowing for the highway fund as a part of the Public Works Act of 1954 (68 Stat. 110). This legislation was deemed necessary at that time in order to finance a substantial enlargement of the District's highway program. It was then contemplated that this legislation, together with projected Federal aid of $2,975,000 per year, would permit completion of this enlarged program by fiscal 1964.

Subsequent to the Public Works Act of 1954, Congress also increased Federal aid for freeways to 90 percent, which seemingly should have assured adequate funds for this long-range highway program.

As a part of the Public Works Act of 1954, Congress also gave carte blanche authority to the District to construct such highways as the District Commissioners and the Planning Commission approved, instead of requiring project-by-project congressional approval as had previously been the case. This unusual authorization was deemed appropriate because of the representations by the then Board of Commissioners that while the total plan might change in detail the overall program would remain substantially the same.

In order that we may have adequate information to prepare for hearings on this bill, I ask that you arrange with appropriate officials in your Highway, General Administration, and Finance Departments for the prompt submission of the information requested by the enclosures.

With kindest regards, I am,

Sincerely yours,

Enclosures.

JOHN L. MCMILLAN, Chairman.

A. FINANCIAL DATA

1. Submit a table, in the same form as hearings on the Public Works Act of 1954, for fiscal years 1955 through 1964, inclusive. may be rounded off to the nearest $1,000.)

that submitted at page 108 of the showing income and appropriations (All figures in this and other tables

2. Submit a table, in the same form as above, showing the status of the highway fund for each year, fiscal 1946 through fiscal 1954.

3. Submit a table, in the same form as above, showing the forecast financial status of the highway fund, fiscal 1965–70, assuming (a) both an increase in gasoline taxes and a $35 million increase in borrowing authority; (b) an increase in gasoline taxes only.

4. Submit a table showing the present schedule for repayment of the outstanding $50,250,000 loan authorization and the schedule for repayment in the event such authorization is increased by $35 million.

5. Submit a table, showing for each fiscal year 1946-63 and estimates for 1964-70, for the highway fund-capital outlay account, total appropriations, total Federal aid apportionment, total obligations, total disbursements, total returned to surplus (lapsed appropriations), lapsed Federal aid apportionments, and yearend balance, including unliquidated obligations and unobligated appropriations and unobligated Federal aid apportionments shown separately.

B. PROJECT DATA

("Major improvements" as used in the following includes all Federal-aid projects and such 100 percent District of Columbia projects as may involve the widening of existing roadways or the acquisition of new rights-of-way.)

1. For each major improvement started and/or completed in fiscal years 1946 to 1954, inclusive, list:

(a) Name and location of project;
(b) Federal-aid project number, if
(c) Nature of the improvement;

any;

(d) Total cost of right-of-way acquisition;

(e) Total cost of planning and engineering;
(f) Total cost of construction;

(g) Total costs (d, e, f)

(h) Amount of Federal-aid reimbursement;

(i) Amount of other reimbursement (from D.C. Transit, railroads, National Capital Parks, RLA, etc.), if any;

(j) Net cost to District of Columbia highway fund;

(k) Month and year project was completed (i.e., reopened to traffic or otherwise substantially finished).

2. List each major improvement included in the program submitted to Congress in 1954 that will have been started and/or completed by June 30, 1964, showing for each: (a) through (k), as above, giving estimates of cost or completion date where such information is not yet final.

3. List each major improvement included in the program submitted to Congress in 1954 or added to the program subsequent to that time (see B-4) that has been deleted from the highway construction program, giving the date of, and reasons for, its deletion.

4. List each of the remaining 1954 projects and each major improvement that has been added to the highway construction program since submission of the 1954 program, showing for each:

(a) through (j), as in B-1 above, giving estimates of costs where such information is not yet final;

(k) date added to public works program;

(1) date of public hearings;

(m) date of approval by District of Columbia Commissioners;

(n) date, if any, of approval by National Capital Planning Commission;

(o) date, if any, of submission to National Capital Transportation Agency

for advice and comment;

(p) date, if any, of approval by Bureau of Public Roads;

(q) date, if any, construction contract was awarded;

(r) month and year project was completed, if applicable.

5. List the projects in B-4 above that are of the lowest priority and which would be deleted or deferred in the event the requested gasoline tax increase is granted but no additional borrowing authority is obtained.

C. LAND USE

1. Submit a table showing, for each fiscal year 1946-64, the number of acres of land transferred from District-owned streets and highway use to (a) private taxable use (residential, commercial, industrial), (b) tax-exempt Government use; (c) tax-exempt charitable or quasi-public use.

2. Submit a table showing, for each fiscal year 1946-64, the number of acres of land transferred from each of the three categories in C-1 to the District's street and highway system.

3. Submit a table showing for fiscal year 1964 the total number of acres in each taxable and tax-exempt category, including District and Federal streets, alleys, and highways.

4. For each of the projects listed in B-4 above that involves the acquisition of right-of-way subsequent to fiscal 1964, list the total number of additional acres required, showing the number of such acres that are presently used for each of the following: Residential, commercial, industrial, park and recreation, education, Government, and other tax exempt.

5. For each of the projects listed in B-4 above that involves the acquisition of right-of-way subsequent to fiscal 1964, list the number of estimated dwelling units to be razed and residents to be displaced.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

Hon. JOHN L. MCMILLAN,

Washington, D.C., May 15, 1964.

Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia,
U.S. House of Representatives,

Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. MCMILLAN: Reference is made to your letter of May 4, 1964, requesting information in support of H.R. 11022, which proposes a 1-cent increase in the District of Columbia gasoline tax and an increase in the loan authorization for the highway fund.

The accompanying material transmitted herewith does not provide all the information requested due to the limited amount of time until hearings are held on this bill. We hope that the information which we have been able to compile will be helpful to you and your committee, and we will make every effort to provide the remainder within a short time.

Your efforts in securing early hearings on the proposed legislation are deeply appreciated by the Board of Commissioners, and we are looking forward with pleasure to testifying before your committee in support of this proposal. With warmest personal regards.

Sincerely yours,

WALTER N. TOBRINER.

President, Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia.

Request A-1

[In thousands of dollars]

Appropriations or estimates:

[In thousands of dollars]