The Coolidge examiner., 1941-01-03
RIJILDING TOWARD A FINER
SYSTEM OF HIGHWAYS
CROSSING ARIZONA
Mesa Journal Tribune


Hutchins, state engineer, envisioned
when he estimated that Arizona needs
more than 20 million dollars to bring its
federal aid system of highways up to
"highest standards" must be one ap-
preaching perfection as far as present
needs are concerned
The Arizona highway system is
much better than fair one already.
Paved thoroughfares criss-cross it, OF
fering routes across the state through
most of its principal cities and connect
ing nearly all the different areas of the
state.
Highway 80, highway in excellent
condition, enters Arizona at Rodeo
New Mexico, and at Yuma, routed
through the principal cities of southern
Arizona-Douglas, Bisbee, Tucson -
and the more densely populated Salt
river valley. Highway 70 and state
route sc (Steins pass) both of which
need improvement, bring the Salt, Gila
and San Simon valleys more of the traf-
fic which crosses the state. Highway
60 crosses Arizona through Springer
vile. Showlow, Globe, and Salt river
valley and Ehrenberg. Still farther
north, highway &C crosses the state
through Holbrook, Winslow, Flagstaff,
Kingman and Needles.
From north to south, highway 80 is
routed almost directly through the
center of the state, Williams, Ashfork,
Prescott, the Salt river valley, Tucson
and Nogales.
Twenty million dollars spent on these
roads and on other new ones which are
in demand would certainly give Ari-
ZOna one of the finest systems in the ma
ton. Naturally, the state engineer was
not proposing that Arizona attempt any
such staggering program; he was mere
ly totaling up for us the cost of all the
roads we'd like to have.
Arizona might have such a highway
program, or one approaching it, if we
chose; that is to say if we went in debt
for it far enough. Some states have at
tempted to do that. Some 20 years ago,
Maricopa county attempted such a pro-
bonds which were issued are great ex-
pense to taxpayers, while modern stand
ards have far exceeded anything antici-
pated when the bonds were issued and
the roads were built
Arizona, instead, has built its high
ways on a pay as-you-go basis, spending
each year the revenues from the state
gasoline tax-now, in round numbers,
some four million dollars a year. With
federal aid, we are building up the
nucleus of the system outlined above.
The highways are there-some of them,
perhaps, not entirely up to the best
standards, but on the whole better than
most-and they're paid for.
Arizona is one of six states in the ma
ton which follow this policy We have
seen it work, and we have seen the
alternative-heavy bonded indebted
ness-in Maricopa county. Of the two,
the former is much the more attractive
to the heavily burdened taxpayers.
Arizona's program of highway i'm
provement and construction is bound to
be stepped up in coming years. even on
a cash basis. Returns from the gasoline
tax are increasing steadily, indicating
heavier traffic on Arizona highways.
Bigger returns mean better highways,
and better highways means more traf-
fic, and, in turn, increased revenues.
The thing for Arizona to do is to stimu-
late tourist traffic by consistent, we'll
planned program of advertising reach
ing every corner of the nation through
the big circulation periodicals.