Milford chronicle., 1927-09-30
MORE PAVEMENT AREA
IS IMPERATIVE NEED
CircIing Around Cities Is Best.
Epie County, N. y, Is Building
Model System OF New Roads.
BIZ &. Z. Duffy

StreeIS eSpeGAdlly III SANAO' '@ ~
founded a century or so ago. are OIL
tentimes much too narrow for IN
accommodation of modern ratflc
Emil relief lies in the widening o
main thOroughfares and the acquls
7tion of wider rights-Of-way a.
0uickly as possible. many pronln
ent highway authorities claim.
Ten malion dollars every day Il
the average amount lost by the peo
nile of the United States by this one
single handicap of traffic cOngest
ion, according to Secretary Hoover
committee of traffic investigation
Careful analysis of each city's OF
towns traffic problem will OF course
reveal methods whereby this con
gestion cost may be somewhat re-
.duced. but efficient arrangement ol
stOp-and-gO lights, the adoption OF
marking and driving regulations ano
the rerouting of traffic are only
surface treatments. Traffic con-
.gestiOn wifi continue its cancerous
growth until measures are taken
that aim at the very root of the
trouble. This is the provision OF
greater pavement area by means OF
super-highways
An outstanding action toward tho
provision of free-flOwing traffic ha'
been taken by Buffalo and Eric
County, New York. The plan adopt
ed by the Board of Supervisors o.
Erie County has attracted a grea
deal of attention and probably its
fnlt nv nt or
communities.
George C. Diehl, Erie County
Engineer, outlines the program as
follows.
Recognizing the fact that piece
meal remedies never will provide an
adequate solution of a big problem
the Board of Supervisors of Erie
County directed the county en-
gineers to make a comprehensive
study of traffic in all parts of the
county.
"There was evolved the Greater
MOtOrways System. which cOntem-
plates two connected series of wild
ened and improved highways circul-
ing the city from the Niagra River
on the north to Lake Erie on the
south, one at a distance of two and
One-half miles from the present
city boundaries and the other four
miles out. This plan was adopted
by the Board of Supervisors and is
being carried out.
1T includes about three hundred
miles of highways, of which about
two hundred miles have had some
degree of improvement. About
thirty miles have been completed to
the full extent of the plans, which
involve the reconstruction of about
forty highways.
The first, or inner loop, includes
an area of IS square miles, suffici-
ent for million population, Buff
falo's present objective The outer
loop, inclosing 10 square miles
provides for an ultimate city of two
million, which is our maximum
dream.
Everything planned and done is
upon the theory that if it is worth
doing it will pay for itself. Sheri-
dan Drive, in the town of TOna-
wanda, Immediately north of Buff
falo and parable with the north city
line, is only one of many illustrat
ions which might be given to show
how almost immediate increases in
value help to pay for the cost of
the improvement. This modern
boulevard, on 20O-fOot right-of-
way, with two 30-fOOt concrete
pavements, is an east and west unit
of the inner loop.
practically all of the right-Of-
way for Sheridan Drive was dedi-
Gated to the town of TOnawanda by
the owners of the lands. They gave
a strip of farm land for the purpose
of the highway and are selling lots
for twice the acre value of their
land before the road was built De-
mand for these lots for the erection
of buildings followed Immediately
after the district was made acces-
sible.
''Te idea planted in the minds of
these owners, that the greatly in
creased values certain to follow
development of facilities for COM
Portable living, would repay them
many times over for the gift of
highway strip, is the basis for ad-
ditional requests for similal donat-
ions on the part of owners along
other outes included in the program
of improvement The actual. de-
monstratiOn, so near at hand and so
well known, is conclusive with all
but a few owners. The attitude OF
obstructing the wishes of neighbors
can be met in several different
ways.
while it is not contemplated
that the complete plan adopted by
Erie County can be finished IN the
immediate future-the work OF Sc
curing the dedication of rlght-oI-
wav for all of the projected hlgn-
wavs is not permitted to lag. Lan9s
that must be required, as an an
solute essential to any unit OF the
man. if the owner will not dedicate,
are purchased quickly, to aVold
-mounting costs. This is most I'M
nortant step, following the adoption
6f a plan or projected Improvement.
A number of cities are watching
the Drogress of Erie county with
interest. perhaps with envy. There
is no doubt that other cities large
and small, will be literally forced
to establish comprehensive highway
system. The sooner, the better, the
sooner the cheaper.