The Washington times., 1929-02-13
MORE HIGHWAYS.
ANSWER TO
CAR JAMS
BY H. NJ. STEPHENS
General Sales Manager Cadillac

BY III. MI. STEPHENS
General Sales Manager Cadillac
More arterial highways, super,
highways. city streets of adequate
width, elimination of bottlenecks
almost regardless of expense, and
making available the year around
many roads which today are SER
viceable only during favorable
weather, are foremost and vital
factors in the Improvement of good
roads and traffic conditions in the
United States.
The year 1929 viii witness the
addition of 100000 to l,25O.OOu
more motor vehicles within our
boundaries. Provision must be
made not only adequately to care
for them, but to provide better
facilities for the 25,00O,OOO already
In use.
Merchants must see that suffi-
cient parking facilities are provided
accessible to their stores or flnd
more and more business moving to
the suburbs.
Roads the Answer
The public rapidly is realizing
that proper roads more than pay
their cost in enhanced value u
surrounding property alone. We're
that not true the public would still
be entitled to facilities enabling 1t
20 move quickly, comfortably and
safely from one place to another by
means of individual and mass trans
portation.
jacent property more than offsets
the cost of road improvements is
vividly illustrated in North Caro-
lima, which today has some of the
finest through roadways in America.
The living standards of it's people
have been vastly bettered, hundreds
OF millions of dollars in tourist
trade have flowed consistently into
the State, better homes have re-
placed poorer ones, and the entire
State has become a foremost ex-
ponent of how improved city
streets and highway roads have con-
tributed back directly to the greater
well-being of its entire people.
Values Increasing
westchester county, N. Y, To-
Gated Just north of New York city,
has found that it's highway system
has been more than paid for by the
increase in land values. From
1924 to 1927 it expended $S,75O,OOO
on highwav work. During the
same period it's land value in
creased $500 ,000, 900.
The superhighway is the most
efficient roadway yet known Tor
the rapid, safe transport of traffic
volume. The day is not far dis
tant when superhighways VIII Iuf-
nish the accepted method OF last
travel between our great metropoll-
tan areas. As each roadway ac-
commodities only one-way tfaLIlc'
the superhighway Immediately OBJ
Viates those types of accidents
caused by one car cutting out OF
line and crashing into an oncoming
car. and those in which the pedes-
train 's caught between two OPP
posite moving traffic lines. 1t also
permits the use. in times of ex-
traordinary traffic flow. OF a
greater percentage of the total
available road space. since no
lanes need be kept open for traff1c
moving in the opposite direction.
The superhighway would not de-
serve the attention it is bound to
secure if it's only advantage were
the facilitation of intereity tratflc'
Frontage along superhighways al
ready constructed and in operation
has grown enormously in value.
Property values three miles or more
from the road itself have also appre-
Ciated greatly.
Regard for Pedestrian
The superhighway also has re-
gard for the pedestrian. Because of
its island in the center. the pedes-
trian need cross but one side OF
the highway before again reaching
safety. Traffic lights may be spaced
at necessary intervals both for pedes-
trian safety and for crossing traffic.
They need to handle traffic moving
in only one direction. and in many
instances can be so synchronized
that the bulk of motor traffic can
be continuously moving.
There are i'm all some 5,OOO,OOO
miles of roads in this countrY-good,
bad, and Indifferent. If all were
usable the year round there would be
little or no cause for complaint. But
some n per cent of them are un'
improved in any way. Another 10
per cent have been graded and
drained. Seventeen per cent have
some sort of impermanent sur
facing. About per cent are year.
round, aIl-weather roads. made from
base to crown according to dictates
of the most thorough scientific
highway engineering.
These per cent are the roads
that carry the nations traffic. Th e
Bureau of Public Roads survey
showed that So per cent of the
country's entire highway traffic is
carried over per cent of it's total
highway mileage.
For many years mileage has been
the major goal in road.building. IL,
at the years end, the State reported
the construction of several hundred
miles of new roads, its citizens felt
they had lived up to their pro-
gressive reputation. But in certain
instances those roads were too mar
row. In other, no provision was
made for widening as traffic volume
grew. Again. politics has dictated
where they should be built The
lesser need was met first and the
greater sidetracked for votes, for
political friends or for other selfish
ends.
FOur.Term Thinking
Adequately to meet the situation
it is necessary to think in four
terms. Width, capacity and proper
location come first. Roads must be
built to withstand the punishment
inflicted by the heavy traffic Of
motor busses and trucks. To these
physical properties of length. width
and thickness another dimension,