New Britain herald., 1926-09-18
THE HIGH COST OF

building since 1895. when the road building department Of the state was organized, totals sS2,547,Slo, the current report of the Connec- ticut state highway department discloses.
 And yet the road system, splen- did as it was considered a few years ago. seems to be failing to keep up with the demands of the ever increasing automobile traffic.
 At the present time the pay-as- you-go policy of the state is inter- fering with the rapid construction of needed roads, or needed im- provements of existing roads. This year, in fact, less money was spent upon the roads than last year. The expenditure of the depart ment during the fiscal year ending July l, according to it's own fig ures. was s1O,503,715.94. This amount is s300OO0 less than was expended in the fiscal year ending July 1, 1925.
 One hears much about the need for new roads" and the supposi- ton is widespread that the depart ment's main work is the construc- ton of such arteries. But this isn't the fact. The largest disbursements are for reconstruction and mainte- nance, which totalled s4,674,576.- Is: and of this nearly s3,000,000 was expended in the reconstruction Of present roads.
 New construction, including the improvement of roads on the state road system, cost only $2,7o6,360.- G7.
 It appears from these figures that reconstructing and maintain ing the roads we already have is costing too much money. If roads must be reconstructed so soon aft CT many of them being tinkered with have been built, it is an indi- cation that insufficient foresight was used when they were original ly built. This is particularly the case in connection with some Of our main highways, such as the Boston Post road down Bridgeport way, where it is not wide enough and never was wide enough.
 All highway expenses in Connec- ticut, whether for new construc- i ton or for maintenance, are fi- nanced from current revenues. Small wonder that not enough ma tcrializes to keep up with the au- tomobile demands. Seventy per cent of the revenue comes from the owners and users of motor ve- hicles. If the state would match from it's general revenues the amount obtained from motorists, there would be much more money for good road purposes, and mo- body would feel the pinch. This would permit the issuance of high way bonds, in limited quantities, such as is done in other states.
 Such a plan, of course, would not be in conformity with the pol icv of Governor Trumbull and the state board of finance; but these officials must realize the manner in which the state is failing to meet the road demands, and if they insist upon not conforming with the road bond method they at least should provide an alternative scheme.
 There are few states In which the tax per vehicle is as great as it is in Connecticut, and there is little likelihood that tho tax can he increased, By 1850 the state will need to rebuild nearly 1900 miles of the existing 1,S00 miles of improved state roads, and it is en- tirely reasonable to suppose that all this work cannot be satisiac- torily done under the present par simonious system. which makes a nice showing as a campaign docu- ment but gets nowhere as a prac- tical substitute for sufficient roads to serve the steadily increasing number of automobiles in the state.