Evening star., 1947-03-07
Lane Proposes
.S163,000,OO0
Road Program
Five-Yeor Overhaul
Of System Is Asked
In Special Message
BY the Assoeiafsd Press

BY the Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 7-Lawmakers
were considering today Gov. Lanes
recommendation for a $163 ,000, ,00(
highway program which would over.
haul the States road system In the
next five years.
The largest share of the finances
Tor the project-which includes the
proposed $24. 900 900 Chesapeake Bay
bridge-would come from a $780,.
'0O0, ,000 State highway bond issue for
which the Governor asked legisla-
tive authorization.
He proposed an increase Of l cent
In the present Accent gasoline tax
a changed method of distributing
this and other revenues for road
purposes, and thorough revamping
OF the administrative setup of the
State Roads Commission.
Special Message Sent.
The highway program, designed to
Improve a road system which, ac-
tcording to the Governor, no longer
meets present-day requirements, was
the subject of a special message to
a joint session of the General As
sembly last night. =
Under the proposed gas tax in
crease and the new method of
revenue distribution, the funds avail
able to the State Roads Commission,
Baltimore City, and the counties and
municipalities in the next year would
be considerably more than originally
provided in the State budget, the
Governor said.
He re-emphasized the administra-
tion's intention to relieve the State
Roads Commission of administra-
tion OF the county road networks.
In Difference to difficulties" which
smaller counties might have in TAX
ing over the systems because of in
adequate personnel, the Governor
announced postponement of the
inauguration of the new policy from
next July / to July, 1948.
Expressways Mentioned.
The entire program was divided
by the Governor into "self -liquidat-
ing projects" such as toll bridges
and highways, and those that would
not pay for themselves.
Under provisions of the bond bill,
he said, the State Roads Commission
would be able to consider the feast
bility of other projects, including
"hlgh-speed expressways.
He included in the States "pri-
mary" crossing program the pro-
posed Patapsco River crossing
either by tunnel or bridge.
One major requirement in the
financial basis for the plan, the
Governor said, was the support of
the State police department from
the States general funds and not, as
heretofore, from revenues derived
from the State motor vehicle de-
partment. 4
Favors Higher Fees.
He also reiterated his advocacy of
bill now before the Assembly
which would increase motor car
license fees.
Under the Governors proposed
financial setup, allotments for road
purposes during the five years COW
cred by the program would be as
follows:
- To the State Roads Commission
$S2 500, 900; to Baltimore City $40,-
100000, and to counties and munich
palities, $27,000,000. These sums
would be derived from gasoline, It'll
ing and motor vehicle license reve-
mes.
The Governor said he would re-
quest the State Roads Commission
ito prepare a new master plan for
a completely integrated arterial
State highway system" Under this
bill the commission would be re-
quired to make three separate an
nual reports to the Governor, all of
them open to public inspection.
These reports would cover the
status Of the construction fund for
each fiscal year, with breakdown
of each project planned, construct
ed or under construction, with full
engineering and other accounts; the
status of the funds used by the COM
mission for maintenance of the
highway system, and the statue of
the $100,000,000 serial bond issue.
AS soon as the bond bill is passed,
he asserted, plans for the Chesa-
peake Bay Bridge "can proceed to
realization"
;. Under provisions of the revenue
bond bill, he added, "the State Roads
Commission would be enabled to
consider the feasibility of other
projects, including toll high-speed
express ways, with limited access,
as in the case of the great parkways
out of New York City and in Con-