The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-11-14
VEHICLES ON ROADS
SHOW BIC GAINS. :
HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SHOWN.

For the period of August "a to
80, actual count on the state high
ways shows an increase in travel
on all roads.
The only Babcock Highway in
this immediate vicinity where the
count was taken was the part of
Route 35 between here and Tower
which showed a total of 493 veh-
icles a day passing over this high
way. The 493 were divided as
follows: 1913 Mimi. A cars; 23S
MINI. B cars; IS foreign cars;
buses; trucks; 2 wagons and no
buggies. Between Chisholm and
Hibbing on the same route the
count showed total of 1902 veh-
icies a day.
An unofficial count of vehicles
passing over the Ely-Finland road
during the tourist season the past
summer showed a total of 211 per
day and had night check been
maintained on this popular route,
the totals would have been much
larger.
The traffic on the Ely-Tower
branch of 35, would indicate that
it would be policy to have the same
paved as upkeep on this piece of
graveled road is very high.
Road Usage Goes Up and Up.
Travel on the Minnesota trunk
highways system as whole is 26
per cent heavier this year, the So
called Babcock roads carrying
vehicles where four used them last
year. Like the above figures on
nearby routes, the big statewide
increase in travel on the highways
is shown in detail in the report of
the Minnesota Highway department
in a bulletin this week.
The figures disclose a general
state average Of SAG vehicles per
mile daily on the 7.000-mile trunk
route system this year. Actual
counts of rigs passing 17S different
points on the system were made be-
census week by school teachers, boy
and girl scouts and others. The
findings afford many interesting
facts besides being held by en-
gineers to be valuable guides in de-
termining highway improvement
needs, maintenance costs and SINH
lar questions.
Typical Daily Count Given.
The traffic average each day on
each mile of trunk routes, reflected
in census returns, is made up of
287 light and 500 heavy automo-
biles owned in Minnesota and 81
tourist cars from other states;
BUSES and trucks for public hire;
80 light and IL heavy trucks in
private service, and II wagons and
Is buggies, horsedrawn, or total
Of SAG vehicles.
Eight light cars were counted this
year where the 1928 number was Z
and heavy automobiles where 2
passed in 1923. A slight 3 per cent
decrease in tourist travel-outside
cars being identified by tags from
other states-was blamed by some
to long continued cool weather and
by others to diversion to other
states now making greater progress
in good roads improvements.
Half again as many BUSES and
a third more trucks for hire are
using trunk routes this year over
hast, but the numbers of both are
only / out of every IS vehicles on
roads. Private light trucking in
creased per cent and heavy truck
ing % per cent, compared with last
year,
Horse-drawn vehicles decreased
again, there being II wagons this
year where Is were counted last,
and only three-fourths as many
buggies.
Pavemenas Most Travelled.
The heaviest travelled highway in
the state is the section of T. H. No
5 north from Minneapolis through
Robinsdale, which is serving an
average of 6,101 vehicles day this
year, compared with 1861 daily in
T. II. No. 1 between st. Paul and
White Bear, with daily average of
$500 rigs now against 5,040 last
year. Both sections are paved.
Practically every mile of pavement
carried at least 1000 and up to
G,000 vehicles daily this year, ex-
cept that on T. H. No. 16 east of
st. James.
The most travelled gravel section
on the system is that on T. H. No.
l north from White Bear through
Hugo, with 2,284 vehicles a day
Incidentally, the maintenance of
this stretch costs S2,754 a mile year
~ and he section cost Minnesota
taxpayers nearly twice as much for
each mile as did the pavement
through Robinsdale costing 81 900 a
mile in interest charge, but carry
ing more than twice. as much traf-
fic as he stretch on No. 1.
On Lght-Traf6c Routes.
State trunk highway travel as
revealed by the 1924 census is light
est on the Baudette-Pellan section
of T. H. No. 8 where the daily aver
: age is 80 rigs. The Waterville-
Montgomery section of T. H. No
IL is second with 100 vehicles.
Averages ran over 500 vehicles a
day at more than 100 out of the
178 counting places, including near
ly 40 with more than 1000 and as
high as 6,100 each. That fact is
noted in the bulletin because
American highway engineers are
demonstrating that where used by
500 or more vehicles daily, paving
is less expensive and more staisfac-
tory than gravel, road and rig costs
considered. Present plans of the
highway department are said to pro-