Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

under which $75,00O,00O is appro-
priated by the Federal Govern
ment is no longer adequate to
meet the demand for better roads.
mo one questions the import
ance of direct roads linking the
Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.
But the present Federal aid
system does not go far enough to-
ward establishment of such high
ways. The Federal Government
should handle the whole problem
of tranScontinental highways,
running across the country in di-
rect routes from populouS centerS
of the East to the West, and from
the North to the South"
Holidays bill calls for a mighty
Understanding of the country
with highways, with nine running
from the Canadian border to the
Gulf and the Mexican border, and
a corresponding number crossing
the country laterally.
His plan is to utilize the exist
ing links which would be found
for such roadWays. Provision also
is made for establishment of avia-
ton fields along the principal
tranScontinental and border-to-
border highways, with facilities
for exchange of air mail. His bill
also takes into consideration the
military road needs of the coun-
try.
Congestion on the principal
highways during the 1929 touring
season, was greater than ever be-
fore, the American Automobile AS
ISOLATION reports. The associations
statement is based on preliminary
reports of touring conditions sub
mitted by affiliated A. A. A. motor
clubs throughout the United States
and Canada.
GAS regards congestion" said
Thomas P. Henry, president of the
national motoring body" the con-
dition encountered during the
1929 touring season was consider
ably worse than that encountered
even a year ago, and afforded con-
vincing evidence of the need not
only for more mileage. but also of
the need for the widening of many
important highway links"
s1,sOO,OOO,OOO Not Enough.
The A. A. A. executive asserted
that the sum of approximately
$1,000, 100000 to be expended in
1929 by the State and local gov
ernmentS on road building would
still leave the country confronted
with a situation where the car
manufacturers and car owners are
crowding the road builders and
the driving floor space" is rela-
lively contracting from year to
year.
Congestion as a major disease
of highway travel" he said, has
reached its most virulent form at
the bottle necks leading into and
out of cities. More attention must
be Immediately paid to the con-
struction of bypaths around
metropolitan areas and it would
be well if all States were to launch
a program similar to that OF
Illinois for the widening of ap-
proaches to areas of dense popu-
lation.
Mr.. Henry cited other unfavor-
able factors in the touring Situa-
ton as follows: Failure of cities to
mark through highways; failure
of cities to mark streets clearly,
and particularly the streets lead
ing to through highways; the COM
plete lack of uniformity through
out cities and towns Of the coun-
try as regards the placement and
operation of traffic lights; the
multiplication of such lights in a
host of small communities where
they are not needed and the UNI
necessary delays they cause; and
the prevalence on the highway OF
the buggy rider"
1--WE are confronted" he con-
with a new form OF reck-
less driving. I refer to the So
called buggy rider who enters a
heavy traffic stream with delapi-
dated machine, making 20 miles
an hour, damming the entire
stream and compelling other cars
to pass him in a way that invites
serious accidents. Our road pa
trolls recently counted several OF
these on one mile of highways be-
tween Portsmouth. N. H.. and Port |
land, Me-, where the traffic stream |
was 104 cars to the mile, or one
car to every so feet Of roadway.
"The motorists are not going to
tolerate this situation. The solu-
tion lies in two directions. More
States will inevitably follow the
cad of those States that have al
ready taken steps to keep junk
cars off the road and, at the same
lime. we may expect accelleration
Of the movement in favor OF min
mum speeds instead Of a max
mum speed on some main thor