Evening star., 1932-01-31
ADJUSTING THE OLD HIGHWAY
VIEWPOINT TO 1882 CONDITIONS
Relationship Between Transportation and
Road Needs for the Future Described
by Government Authority.

these aspects, believe, are found those
which will have an important and per-
hapS the major bearing upon the future
growth of highway building and utili-
Zation.
The first Of these is the character
istics of highway traffic. Since 1922
the Bureau of Public Roads, in CO.
operation with a large number Of the
State highway departments, has been
making studies of highway traffic and
the detailed aspects Of highway trans
port These studies have included
States from Maine to California. There
are areas of intense industrial develop
ment and areas of almost no develop
ment. Here are some of the facts
which have been found in these studies.
First. The predominating use Of the
highways is by privately owned pas
senger automobiles. In the II West
ern States, on the Federal-aid system
alonc, there were more than 10000
900 daily paSSenger-car miles OF road
usage. In the States of Pennsylvania
and Ohio this usage ran to about
100000 miles daily. This immense
use by privately owned automobiles
approximates IS to 80 per cent of the
total volume Of highway utilization.
Second. The use Of the highways
by either automobiles or motor trucks
is predcminantly local, taking the
states es a whole. In such States
as Pennsylvania and Ohio, typical Of
the more thickly populated, this local
use is from 85 to 80 per cent.
Third. The predominating volume
use of the roads by both automobiles
and trucks is for short distances-that
IS. above half of the use will be under
30 miles.
Fourth. The ownership Of both
automobiles and trucks in use on the
highways is predominantly private.
Long Distance Travel.
Since there has been a notable drop
in the amount of transportation re-
quired, particularly for local service,
there has been a growth in the longer
distance travel of busses and trucks.
They, like many others, are seeking
employment There has been GER
tain amount of business taken over
from the railroads by trucks and
buses operated in the public or COM
mon carrier service, but this Is an
nconsequential part of the total VOL
umc use of the roads
A great change has taken place In
methods of merchandising. There has
been a change from relatively large
to much smaller inventories, resulting
from highway transportation quickly
and easily available. This change is
having a profound effect upon trans
portation needs. For example, in OHIO
out of grand total Of $4,000 retail
establishments, 10000, or 43 per cent,
| handle goods that require daily re-
plenishment. In Maryland, of a grand
total of retail establishments of 2l,000,
about 5000, or 40 per cent, handle
supplies that are replenished day by
day. These are only two instances
that indicated in a concrete way a
service which has become established
as a daily highway use.
Intimate Relationships.
1t would be possible to carry this
discussion into unnecessary lengths to
demonstrate the intimate relationships
which have been established between
our whole population and highway
transport 1t is not necessary to go
into these to point to the conclusion
that no material part of the develop
ment of our highway system is con-
tingent upon any of the services
which are now in controversy The
need for highways will go on and on
because of their highly localized serv-
ices which belong to them exclusively
The long-distance traffic may be
elmed a by-product, important in it
self, but having practically no effect
upon the necessity for the improve
ment or volume of use of improved
HIGHWAYS Thus, from the standpoint
CT re future of highway building, no
matters now in controversy as to the
carrtagc of persons or commodities by
the various public transportation agen-
cies. regardless of how they are finally
composed. will affect more than a
minor percentage of the use OF the
highways.
The second point that has had 8
profound bearing upon the tremen-
| dous development Of highway transport
| is the coordination of effort by agen-
cies behind the building and use OF the
| highways These agencies are primarily
the highway officials and engineers. the
highway contractors. including their
| organizations, and the manufacturers
Of all types cf road and automotive
equipment This latter group includes
not only the motor vehicle manufact-
urers. but mnay of the accessory manu-
| facturerS. including as an important
/ group the rubber tire industry.
Major Advances.
The major advances in this field are;
First, the Improvement In engineer
ing designs, in contractors methods, IN
efficiency and adaptability of equip
J ment, which resulted over the period
of five years from 1924 to 1929, In
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