The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-07
A NATIONAL HIGHWAY.
The United states Road Enquiry Of
flee Takes Up the Work

I
NEW YORK, Sept. 5.-Martln Dodge,
Director of the Office of Public Road En-
! quiries, Department of Agriculture, is in
town comforting with prominent men who
! are interested in the good roads move
nent in regard to the much talked of
: highway to be built from ocean to ocean
/ across the United States. In a recent ar
/ ticle in one of the current magazines.
! Julian Hawthorne outlined plan for such
= a highway, 200 feet wide, to be built by
| the National Government Mr.. Dodge's
| plan is more modest. and if successfully
carried out the road will be the result of
| a gradual evolution
1t is his idea to first interest the bicy-
| Gle riders and get continuous cycle path
from Boston to Chicago. This would be
! done by the cooperation with the L. A.
| w. of the office which Mr. Dodge repye-
J sents. The counties through which the
| road shall pass and the examinations of
| the branch lines, etc, would be designat-
| ed by the Department, and the following
| cities have already been definitely de-
| clded upon as points on the route: Bos-
! ton, Albany, Buffalo. Cleveland Toledo.
| and Chicago. A branch path would con-
| meet New York and Albany. The further
/ mapping out of the course would be a
| matter for elaboration between the State
| officials of the L. A. W. and the local
authorities in the counties and towns.
AS matter of fact the only work to
| be done on this route would be the build
ing of connecting links and short cuts
where the existing paths are circuitous
| There is already network of cycle paths
! in New York, Ohio and the other States
through which the route must pass, many
miles of which would be available
Having brought this part of the plan to
successful conelusIca the next step
would be to interest the automobile peo-
| pie. Judging from De rapidity with which
the automobile is becoming popular, and
| the success which has attended recent
! long distance runs, the horseless vehicle
! is destined to spread beyond the metro
! politan districts. AS good roads are es-
/ sential for the rubber-tired carriage, Mr.
Dodge hopes, by the aid of manufacturers,
automobile clubs and property ownerc
along the proposed route to widen the
cycle path into a road sufficiently broad
for the automobile. -
Having obtained a smooth and service
! able road, twenty feet wide and running
in as nearly a straight line as possible
! from Boston to Chicago. the further task
= of widening it for a universal highway
| would be the natural sequence. AS soon
I as the States west of Chicago evince a
/ willingness to fall in line, as some have
! already done, the work will be extended
westward in the same manner.
The money for the scheme would come
! from various sources. In the first in
stance the voluntary contributions and
assistance of property owners. and bicy
Gle clubs, with the sale of license tags
would build the cycle paths, the expense
of which is comparatively small In
some States, for instance Ohio. 10 per
cent of the money expended on roads is
now set aside for the construction of
cycle paths. When the time to establish
a boulevard arrives. Mr.. Dodge is in IA
vor of the National Government, the
State governments, and the local authori-
ties each paying one-third of the cost.
A meeting will be called in Washington
the first week in October. at which Presi-
cent Conway Sans and the State consuls
of the L. A W. will be present. Later.
when the road has been mapped out and
plans made a committee viii go over the
entire route and decide upon details.
A series of good roads meetings, at
which object lessons in road building are
given, have been or are to be held under
Government auspices at the following
cities: Port Huron, Mich. July 2, 3. and
&; Saginaw, Mich, August 81; Springfield,
Ill, September 90; Topeka, Ksn.. Sept
tcHlDcI Af--os CAtIB 80
first week in October. AT the Topeka
meeting the Secretary of Agriculture and
the Postmaster General of the United
States Government are expected to be
present.
Mr.. Dodge said 81 look for great
changes in the substitution of mechanical
for horse power IN the next ten years.
From present indications the trolley sys-
tens will pierce the rural districts in all
directions from the centres OF population
and will carry not only passengers but
the produts that are now carried in the
iron tired wagons. That will leave the
ordinary vehicle for only the lighter
uses, and rubber tires will be naturally
substituted for iron ones. Then the read
problem will solve itself.
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