The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-08-21

the present volume traffic and would only become dangerous bot tlenecks if they had to serve super highway traffic.
 With the completion of this proposed super highway" MT Reindollar said, 'it would be pos- sibie for a motorist to travel from Boston to Washington, q distance of 474 miles, in 12 hours, without violating speed laws and with al- most complete avoidance of traffic menaces. Or, to put 1t another way, motorists would save much val uable time with an increased fac tor of driving safety, in traversing the entire length of this proposed route, or any considerable portion of 1t, such as that between New York and Baltimore.
 "At this time we can not give the total cost of the entire project. Officials of the highway depart ments of the several states are now estimating their share of the cost, and as soon as their estimates are in hand we will consult with the Federal Administrator of Public Works in an effort to obtain MIRA funds, as 8 special grant, to defray
 
 cost. The cost of construction through Maryland has been esti- mated to be approximately $14,- O00,0O0.
 "Whatever the cost may be, ample engineering authority could be adduced to prove that the sav- ing in time and distance plus de-. creased automobile operation cost would more than exceed the cost of construction over a reasonable period of years"
 As an illustration of how time and money would be saved by such a major piece of highway construc- ton. MT Reindollar cited the ef- fleets upon traffic that would be served by that part of the route through his own state.
 'In Maryland the improved highway would shorten distances by a total of eleven miles on six existing routes, or an average of 1.83 miles on each route" MT Reindollar stated. Ut certainly is conservative to assume that the value of distance saved to opera tors of private and commercial ve- hicles Is ten cents a mile. The an- nual saving then would be 1.S3 miles times 10 cents times 500 cars Beverage daily traffic) times 365 days. or $440,770.
 "In addition to this. here are two other important economic fac- tors to consider: The saving in time that would be permitted by a higher rate of safe speed, and the saving that would come with de- creased automobile operating costs over uniformly high type of sur face.
 Where 1t is now possible to maintain an average speed of not more than thirty miles an hour, the new route, with a higher type of surfacing, would make 1t safe and simple to maintain an average speed of forty miles an hour. Thus in making a trip of eighty miles across the state the saving in time would be the difference between 160 minutes and 120 minutes, or a net saving of forty minutes. Act ually more time than that would be saved because of the by-pass features called for in the proposed highway. In traversing the Balti- more area alone through motor ist would save easily twenty min utes if he could avoid the congest-
 Assuming that only one half the occupants of motor vehicles consider their time in relation to earning power. we have estimated that the total saving In earning power, based upon an average of fifty cents an hour. would be $1.- 792,725 q year for the occupants of the cars travelling over the new route.
 '"That there is definite saving in operating an automobile over the highest types of road surfac- ing. as compared with so-called in- termediate types, is well establish ed. The proposed North Atlantic Coastal Highway would be a Grade A road, and 1t is conservative to estimate that motorists in Mary land would save one cent mile in using 1t. With daily traffic vol tune of 5000 vehicles. the 1925 miles of the super highway in Maryland would save the motorists $2.S54,250 year. Thus, there would be a total saving of more than $4,457,745 annually to motor fsts in Maryland.
 ''In most states very little con- alteration is given to the eco- nomics of highway transportation in conection with highway design, but If these figures are only half way correct, the North Atlantic highway that has been proposed. particularly now that there Is an opportunity to obtain financial as- sistance from the federal govern nient."
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