Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-10-02

Motor vehicle registration figures
still continue their upward climb,
! according to the Bureau of Public
Roads Of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, which reports
19.697,S32 vehicles registered in the
first six months of 1926. This is l.
927,141 more vehicles than were
registered In the corresponding
period of 1925 or an increase of 1913
per cent
States showing the greatest in
Michigan 24.3 per cent, Mississippi
21.0 per cent, Arkansas 1910 per cent
and oklahoma 1877 per cent. In
creases between IA and Is per cent
are reported by Georgia, Idaho, Ne
vada and North Dakota.
t Gross receipts from registration
fees, licenses, permits, etc. amounted
to $257.779.149 which is nearly all to
be used for road purposes. State
highway funds were allocated S179 :
531 .469, local road funds S48.3S7.S73,
and $20,SS6.S22 is to be used for
payments on State and county road
bonds.
Motor vehicle registrations and
highway traffic have increased enor-
mously In recent years and will I'M
doubtedly continue to increase, but
highway officials do not fear the de-
velopment of a general condition of
congestion or any breakdown in the
roads constructed by reason of the
increased traffic. Highway research
and experience have developed types
of pavement fully capable of with
standing present and expected future
traffic. Eighteen feet has come to
be the minimum standard width for
main highways and except for roads
in the vicinity of large cities and a
few heavily travelled roads between
certain cities this width will be
ample for several years to come.
Serious congestion has developed in
the vicinity of some of the larger
cities: but it is not general con-
dition. and no problem yet raised by
it or likely to be raised in the near
future is difficult of solution.
Very satisfactory progress has
been made in providing new surface
ed mileage to meet the increased
traffic. There are 270653 miles in
the State highway systems which in
clude the roads eligible for improve
ment with Federal aid and all of
the important interstate and inter-
county roads in the country. At the
end of 1925, 145 sos miles of these
roads had been surfaced and 32,21S
miles additional had been ade-
quately graded and drained. Al
though 1900 miles Of the surfaced
roads are improved only with sand
clay and gravel surfacing, these
types are entirely adequate for the
accommodation of the present traf-
1ic in most instances, and are being
replaced by more durable surfaces as
the traffic demonstrates the need.
This is being done in accordance
with the policy of stage construction
which has been adopted by most of
the States. Under this plan roads
carrying light and medium traffic
are improved only to the extent
justified by the present traffic and
the initial improvement is conserved
by adequate maintenance and in
corporated in the more durable con-
struction when the growing traffic
requires a higher type of surface.
In 1925. 1885 miles of State road
were surfaced and 5,316 miles grad
ed and drained. The State highway
departments expended a total of ap-
proximatelv s64S,000 600 for this
work and the maintenance Of exist