Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18
SEES j. S. TAGGING
IN ROAD BUILDING
Construction of Interstate
Highways Far Behind Needs,
Motorists Group Asserts.

The Federal Government should take
the lead in the establishment of inter-
state express motorways, the American
Motorists Association declared today,
pointing out that road building in the
United States is tagging far behind the
rapidly increasing use OF the automobile.
Bills now pending before Congress
recognize the need for q system OF ma
tional highways to relieve congestion on
existing highways, says the association.
Since 1t requires time to build good
highways, Congress Is urged by the or
ganization to speed up action on these
pending measures.
the world and of this mileage 3,005, 6l4
miles, or about IS per cent, are In the
United States" the associat ton points
out. This would appear to indicate
that this country is far in the lead in
highway construction until It is ex-
planned that "a, 493. 1874 motor vehicles
Of the worlds total OF 1891 lat, or
more than n per cent, are registered in
the United States.
Cites. Gains In Auto Registries.
Since 1921 automobile registrations
in this country have mounted from
10, AGA, IT'S to "a, AGA ,124. During the same
period only $500 miles of surfaced
and unsurfaced roads have been added
to our highway system, the mileage in
creasing from 2,94l, 204 miles in 1921 to
3,005, 6l4 in 1923. AS matter of fact
there are now in use In this country
7.8 automobiles for every mile OF sur
faced and unsurfaced highway.
Identical bills have been introduced
In the Senate and House by Senator
Phipps of Colorado and Representative
Robson of,Kentucky, respectively, call
ing for the appointment OF commits
sion to make a thorough study OF pro-
posals for o national system of express
highways. Another bill introduced in
the Senate by Senator Brookhart Of
Iowa, provides for the establishment Of
seven main arterial highways with nu-
merous auxiliary links, reaching from
coast to coast and from border to
border.
Argues for Cooperation.
"These highways, under the terms OF
the measure. would be built by the
eratively and $4,000, 900 900 would be
made available by the Federal Govern
ment to carry out its part Of the prof.
Get. In addition to these measures
there are others authorizing the In
creases in the Federal aid road building
fund, which has for years remained
stationary at $4,000, 900 despite the
pressing need for greater road i'm
provement"
without assuming to dictate which OF
the bills now before Congress are the
most desirable, the association emphat-
ically urges speedy action on the meas
ure which Will furnish the greatest re-
lief from congestion" Thomas J. Keeke,
general manager of the American Mo-
torists' Association, declared in COM
menting upon the failure of road build
ing in the United States to keep pace
with the need for more highways.
Relief Of Congestion Needed.
Enthusiastically a system of national
highways to accommodate through traf-
flc would alleviate the intolerable con-
gestion which now exists on our high.
WAYS and which Is bound to increase II
road building continues to lag behind
automobile registration. Every one: OF
the $4,000, 900 motorists, constituting
more than one-fifth Of the country s
total population, can testify to incon-
venience Of motoring which has resulted
from our failure to provide adequate
highway facilities. Since quickest re-
lief can come from speeding up inter-
state trafic, it is only natural that the
Federal Government should take the
lead In effecting solution to the prob.
lem"