Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-03-25

which team haul can be made at lowest
cost, affords equal facilities for pas
senger travel. The condition of
travel by wagon roads differs essen
TALLY, however. from travel by rail. |
The wagon haul is short, an average
of perhaps five miles or less, double
that, of course, to include the return
empty haul. But much passenger
travel by wagon road greatly exceeds
this distance. The team haul is
usually confined to one community.
largely toward the railroad station,
while the passenger travel is often
from community TO community. The
distance OF such travel is constantly
increasing in the progress of modern
means of conveyance. The ideal
system of good roads constituting the
spokes radiating out in every direc-
tion. For passenger travel. it is nee
essary to have such roads to the
various centers connected up so as
to constitute through lines Of travel.
In a well developed country, this is
done by natural tendency in max
ing roads accessible. Where COM
munities are separated by sparsely
settled country. or mountainous re-
gion connection of highway becomes
a necessity. Country roads consti-
tute the hub and radiating spoke
system. The connection of distant
communities, the State road or trunk
line theory.
All classes of property, town,
city and country, are taxed to meet
the requirements for roads and
bridges. All are equally interested.
The people in the country to haul
their produce to market, and the
trade centers to secure the patronage
of the country. When the roads are
} bad, the merchant finds business dull,
and the residents find the price of
country produce relatively scarce
and high. The tax payers of the
towns and cities have been willing
contributors to such taxes when the
money is wisely expended. But the
relation of city and country in this
respect varies as the city increases
in size. The cities OF the first class
: depends relatively less on the country
Immediately surrounding than the
other classes. The passenger traffic
, over the country roads in such COM
munities, has larger percentage OF
passenger travel. Such roads will take
on the nature of boulevards, much
r more expensive than the ordinary
good road Such expensive construc.
: tion toward which these cities Sc
, largely contribute, tends to equalize
9 the burden of taxation, and the per-
1 centage of benefit, city and country,
: as compared with other cities and
r towns.
: The desire for good roads is general.
What is needed is specific method
: of securing them. The old method oi
: working out q road tax is gone never
e to return. While not much better
r results have been secured under the
new system, owing largely to ineffi-
, cheney, it is a move in the right di.
+ rection. What is needed in a rough
q knowledge of the best method OK con
a struction adapted to each different
, community. Before really good
roads are secured we need to be
n educated for road building. Mean
s time. We want better roads if We
a cannot have good roads. 1t may bt
r. in order to suggest some practica
!. method of road building which the
o. average man can follow. There are
!. certain principles of road construc.
v ton which are elementary. Reason.
able grades are necessary. A good
natural location. The road bed mus
be graded up and crowned to secure
=. drainage, and side bitches construct
ed to carry the water away from
the travelled roadway. Grading is &
good deal, but drainage is every
thing.
q GENERAL SPECIFICATION
" First: Obtain an accurate survey
# map and profile of the proposed road
II way, from which the best location
e obtainable should be made on th'
e ground after determining width o
IS road and rate of grade; taking int
IS account the amount of traffic. ton
J. mage. proximity to village, town o.
70 city. available funds and general i'm
n portance of the highway.
Width of Roadbe1: The minimum
n width of the travelled roadway whicl
j. should be considered as twenty feet
l. and should be increased proportion
e ately when the road is in close prOX
r unity to q village. town or city.
n Grade: A minimum grade of fiv
it per cent, or a vertical rise of flv
T. feet in each one hundred feet of hOri
zontal distance should not be eX
~ ceeded.
10 Clearing: The right-of-way shoul
,s be cleared of all timber or growth O