Evening star., 1925-09-03
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL j. COLLINS.

terstate systems. and so come under
Federal control and aid. They are
built usually by State direction with
Federal advice and financial aid nd
II the State officials fail TO keep such
roads in repair the Federal officials
do SO and charge the cost against
any undelivered balance intended for
road aid in that State. refusing fur
ther aid for new roads in that State
until the repair account is balanced,
So
The Federal roads already built
constitute a network reaching from
ocean TO ocean and would stretch
more than four times around the
world. The chief value, however. OF
the work of the Federal Road Ru-
reau is the surveying of traffic needs.
from a scientific engineering stand
point. so as to indicate where roads
are inadequate or unsuited 10 the
volume of traffic. 1t is not always
practical to install hard-surface high
ways; such roads are costly. but when
the traffic is heavy they are chea per
than any less costly construction.
One of the most confusing situs-
tions, prior to the systematic man
agement of the whole problem hy
the Roads Bureau. was the absence
Oh lHTOuSH lines across I1e CONT
nent. Even the Lincoln highway
and the Lee highway and Dixie high
way were largely only "on paper"
Today the, Lincoln highway is prac-
tically completed, with the exception
of stretch known as the Wendover
Cutoff. in Utah
The Federal roads will all bear mum
bers. clearly marked for identification
by travellers. and thus intolerahle con
fusion will be eliminated Along the
Lincoln highway, al all Crossroad in
tersections, appear the number as.
and as long as one follows ''S6" ne is
not lost
The confusion of mere names of
roads is greatest in the South. For
example. along the Lee highway Al
certain stretches, there are three or
four roads designated as the Lee
highway" because the promoters are
said to have solicited funds from
towns and cities to build the road, and
if several rival towns contributed lib
orally, each got a piece of Lee high
way" 1t is mostly on paper. for the
Federal official states that little OF the
road has vet been developed beyond
what would have been normal con
struction by State and Federal activ-
ity. The Dixie highway. running-on
paper-from Chicago to Florida. is NOT
far enough developed to count.
X \ x
Last December Secretary Hoover.
at the request of nine associa tions in
terested in highway Improvement and
safety. held conference in Washing
ton. attended by $50 experts in road
matters. \ similar conference is book
ed for next January. As Mr.. Hoover
said in his opening address, comment
ing upon the loss of life and the great
number of non-fatal, but serious. acct
dents: This is a national loss OF AZ
"a appalling q character as TO warra nj
the most complete considera ton and
effort at drastic remedy" He esti-
mates the economic loss due To the
road casualties at not less than $500
600 900 year, aside from the awful.
ness of the sacrifice of human life
i. Other experts have estimated the
total cost due to accidents upon high
ways, loss of time through conses
ton. loss of values of real estate de
preciated by poor roads, amounting
not 10 few millions, but to 81, 900.
100000 a year. The estimate is made
by unQuestionable authority upon the
subject. IT amounts to four times our
losses by fire.
Congestion alone causes delays in
some cities costing from S35.000 to
100000 a day. In New York City
congestion costs S1,O00,O00 a day.
Parking of cars in the Loop district
of Chicago costs that city 5000 900 a
day The question is urged, why
should taxpayers furnish parking
room on the streets for automobiles in
stead of requiring owners TO pay Is or
20 cents a day for parking privileges
in public garages?
The project is seriously considered
in large cities of elevated sidewalks or
elevated promenades in the middle of
the street. at a level OF second stories.
or even of two-story promenades. with
escalators at each corner to carry
pedestrians to their elevated pa ssa se-
ways. Wheeler traffic requires more
room and needs the entire roa dway-
Ccnpyr,ght. 1929. by raul '. J'oliihsI-~-1