Evening star., 1950-03-16
Toll Roads Seen
Accessibility
In Maryland
Highway Officials
Testify at Hearing
Of House Committee

The possibility that Maryland
may have to impose toll charges
=, on some roads was advanced
yesterday at a House committee
hearing.
Robert M. Reindollar, chairman
of the State Roads Commission,
said that while Maryland is op-
posed to toll roads it may have
to resort to them to build high
ways if the building program is
speeded up and sufficient appro-
priations for construction are not
available.
California and Connecticut
highway officials also appeared
before the House Public Works
Committee. That group is con-
sidering a bill authorizing $500
million Federal aid for each of
the fiscal years ending June 80,
1852, and June 30, 1858.
Asks Special Consideration.
Chairman Reindollar said he
believes Maryland is entitled to
special consideration in the allot-
ment of Federal money because it
builds and maintains roads in a
great part of the Washington
suburban area.
Furthermore, he said, many
users of the States roads buy
their gasoline in the District,
where the taxes are lower. The
resulting loss to Maryland was
estimated at So million.
Mr.. Reindollar estimated it
would cost from $500 million to
$700 million to rehabilitate roads
in the Maryland system. He said
his State takes no issue with pro-
visions of the pending bill.
G. T. Mccoy, California's high
way engineer, urged that the
Federal appropriation be increased
from $500 million to 1910 million,
as recommended last year by the
American Association of State
Highway Officials. He said it
would cost more than $2.5 billion
to rehabilitate the California sys-
tenn, which he said is overloaded
to a point requiring drastic action.
Explains Legislation.
California, Mr.. Mccoy said, in
dorSes provisions of the pending
legislation except one. A pro-
vision permitting transfer of up
to rs per cent of Federal aid pri-
mary road allocations to second
ary roads seriously jeopardizes
development of primary routes,"I
he said. 1
He explained that State legis-
lation makes liberal provision for
Improvement of county roads on
the secondary system in Cali
fornia. 49,
A statement signed bgsMr. Nc
Coy and State highway engi-
neeIs III Arizona, Wyoming and
Ofs asked that authorizations
in the bill Tor forest thighWays and
forest development roads and
trails be increased from $40 mil
lion to s25 million and from S12
million to SIT million a year, re-
spectively.
The four. who represented II
Western States, said more public
money has been spent on such
roads in the East than in the
West.
Reindollar Testifies.
Mr.. Reindollar told the commit
tee he believes his State is entitled
to some special consideration in
allotment of Federal money be-
cause it builds and maintains
roads in great part of Wash
ington's suburban area.
Roy E. Jorgensen, deputy COM
missioner and chief highway en-
gineer of the Connecticut State
Highway Department said that
while his commission approves
the principle of the bill, it is
concerned about the proposed
basis for apportioning Federal
funds among States.
An authorization of $40 million
a year would be apportioned un-
der the bill to States on the basis
of population. MIR. Jorgensen
urged it be based on the cost of
improvements on the interstate
system instead.
He urged that the interstate
{ system work be expedited with
50-50 Federal-State matching in
stead of the pronosed 75-o5 haSie