Evening journal., 1916-09-11
PENNSYLVANIA Leads
IN Good roads WORK
Report Shows $1,000 or 2.22
Miles Per Square Mile,
Lea ing NeighborS
TENTH OF TOTAL
IS SURFACED

WASHINGTON. Sept. 11.-Pennsyl-
vania had at the beginning Of last
year 2.22 miles Of road for every
square mile of its area--mOre than
either of the other two Middle At
lantic States. New York and New
Jersey-the Department of Agricul-
ture announced tonight in setting
forth the results of the third fve-year
study Of road mileage. road types and
highway finances Touching condi-
tions in Pennsylvania, the report
says:
The total mileage on January
1915, was 91,555S4. Of which approx
mately 10000 miles. or 1913 per cent,
were surfaced The State had a
highly organized highway department,
with 10000 miles OF road, designated
as State highways, directly under its
supervision and maintained at State
expense. Contributions for main
tenance were also made for some
roads other than those designated as
belonging to the State system.
Although complete information was
not available for some jurisdictions.
an estimate Of road expenditures in
the State for 1914 places the amount
at more than SO 100000 This is an
increase as compared with 1904 of
1892 per cent"
Motor Traffic Raises Road Costs.
Extension in the use of motor
vehicles has brought about marked
increase in new. substantial and cost
~ types of roads in New York, Naw
Jersey and Pennsylvania. The report
shows that in 1914 roads treated with
bituminous preparations made up l5.4
per cent Of improved highways. as
against ! per cent. i'm 1909. A similar
showing is made for concrete, brick
and many other materials used in
road construction. Approximately 3
per cent. of the improved road mile
age Of The three Commonwealths is
now surfaced with such materials,
while in 1909 roads of this type con-
stituted only I per cent.
More than $500 miles, or thirty
seven per cent. we're treated with Bit
umen. while only twenty and five
tenths per cent. we're untreated ma
cadam and twenty-six per cent plain
gravel. This indicates conclusively
in the opinion of officials that for
roads carrying heavy automobile
traffic waterbound macadam has had
It's day.
In 1914 the three States spent in
road improvements S4O.S64,S31, Of
which the detailed expenditures we're:
New York, more than S23,000,000; New
Jersey, more than S7.000,000: Penn
sylyania. more than S10,O00,000. In
addition. county. town and township
bonds voted in New York totaled
nearly S12.0OO.0O0: in New Jersey.
S14,OO0.000; in Pennsylvania, S27,-
100000
1870 Miles In Three States.
The total road mileage in the three
middle Atlantic States on January /,
1915. was 1S5,770.S4, made up as fol-
lows: New York. 10000: New Jersey,
$4,000: Pennsylvania. 81 800 This is
exclusive Of virtually all streets in in
corporated cities and towns. The per-
centages Of surfaced roads added in
the fve-year period we're three and
five-tenths in New York, seventeen in
New Jersey and seven In Pennsyl-
vsnia.
In 1914. as in 1904 and 1909. New
Jersey led the two other States in
mileage of surfaced roads per square
mile. The ratio in 1874 for New Jer-
sey was O.7S4 of a mile per square
mile of state area for New York,
0.32S. and for Pennsylvania, 0220. In
surfaced mileage for 1000 of rural
population, New Jersey also led in
1914. At the close of 1914 New York
had twenty per cent Of its improved
roads treated with bitumen. while
New Jersey had seven per cent. and
pannsvlvania annrnXimatalV the same