Evening star., 1926-11-21
AUTOMOBILE GROWTH IS AHEAD
OF CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHWAYS
Routing Traffic Around Populous Centers,
Lighting of Rural Routes, and Wider
Roads Are Among Needs.

the motorist In the cost of vehicle cp.
Grafton. For instance. in Illinois O
road $50 miles long was relocated al
most entirely throughout it's length.
thereby saving 80 miles Of unneces-
sary distance and eliminating 81 grade
crossings The saving In vehicle op'
Grafton to the >stiZens OF that state
as a result of this improvement is
estimated at $1,oO0,oO0 a year.
Wider Highways Needed.
The frequency of highway accidents
resulting from traffic congestion has
demonstrated not only that we must
construct our new highways of arnale
width, but also that we need to wi6sn
many of the roads and bridges now
in use. This has led to the construc-
ton in the vicinity of large industrial
centers and on main thoroughfares OF
what is known as the "super.high.
way" to insure the maximum road
capacity. speed and safety.
1t is only by widening our congest
ed roads and by providing alternate
routes that accidents can he reduced
and traffic enabled to move smoothly.
quickly and with a maximum de-
gree of safety. Foremost of the
superhighways is the one out of De-
troit. This road has a total width
of 204 feet, with two separated road
ways a feet wide. each carrying one
way traffic. On each of the fourtrack
roadways horse-drawn traffic keeps TO
the right.hand curb: slow-moving.
heavy trucks outside them. and auto
mobiles in the two other lanes. there
by providing rapid. safe. and easy
movement for all kinds Of traffic. In
addition. space is provided between
the roadways for rapid transit trolley
lines. and provision Is made for motor
parking. as well as for pedestrians.
other highways on which exten-
sive widening programs are going on
or parallel routes are being extended
are the Pacific Highway in the State
of Washington; highways out of Chi
cago; the Lincoln Highway west OF
Philadelphia: the Boston Post Road
between New York and New Haven.
as well as roads leading out of Cleve-
land, Akron and Cincinnati.
One of the developments Of the
future may he separate roads for
freight and for passenger service,
low grade. heavily constructed road
for trucks and a less expensive type
for passenger vehicles. A road
planned primarily for trucking be-
tween Boston and New York is now
under construction.
To relieve traffic congestion and
to promote safety at the intersection
of important roads, highway grade
separations are being planned. The
first structure of this kind is now be-
ing erected just north of Chicago at
a very congested highway intersec-
ton. The design provides for two
levels. Through traffic proceeds on
an overhead bridge on one of the
roads while turning traffic swings
wide Of the bridge and uses the
ground level.
Penalty for Slow Drivers.
Traffic congestion, as we'll as large
proportion of accident cases, may be
charged to the slow-moving vehicle.
AS the speed of the vehicle naturally
affects road capacity, it is possible
that one of the developments of the
future may he a penalty for not
maintaining minimum as well as
for exceeding a maximum speed.
Statistics show that more than half
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