The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall have the care and charge of, and the exclusive jurisdiction over, all the public roads and bridges, except such as belong to and are under the care of the United States, and except such as may be otherwise specially provided for by Congress.
(R.S., D.C., § 247 ; June 20, 1874, 18 Stat. 116, ch. 337, § 2; June 11, 1878, 20 Stat. 103, ch. 180, § 2.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 7-102.
1973 Ed., § 7-102.
Cross References
Barbed-wire fences, see § 9-1213.01 et seq.
Bridges, see § 9-301 et seq.
“Business streets,” designation and regulation, see § 9-1201.05 .
Construction of public buildings, municipal center site acquisition, condemnation of public streets and alleys, see § 10-601 .
Criminal trespass, obstruction of public roads and highways, see §§ 22-3320 and 22-3321 .
Electrical wiring and conduit systems, see §§ 9-1207.03 , 34-1401 et seq., and 34-2501 et seq.
Jurisdiction over public roads, miscellaneous provisions, see § 9-1201.01 et seq.
MacArthur Boulevard, transfer of jurisdiction to the Council of the District of Columbia, see § 9-1201.01 .
Naming of public spaces, see § 9-204.01 et seq.
National Park Service, public streets, duties, see §§ 9-1201.04 and 9-1201.07 , and 9-1201.08 .
Public parks and playgrounds, see § 10-101 et seq.
Rights-of-way through cemeteries, see § 1-1315 .
Roadway widening and sidewalk establishment, lands under jurisdiction of the National Park Service, authorization, see § 10-123 .
Secretary of the Interior, prevention of improper appropriation or occupation of public streets, see § 9-1201.09 .
Street lighting, regulation of gas mains, see § 9-506 .
Street parking, see § 10-106 .
Traffic regulations, see § 50-2201.01 et seq.
United States Navy Yard, railroad connection, see §§ 9-1203.02 to 9-1203.05 .
Water mains and service sewers, see §§ 34-2401.01 and 34-240
Change in Government
This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11 ), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a) ), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.
