Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-07

Lost of o Series
transportation in the United
States. This revolution-as pro-
found as any in the Nations
history-will accelerate in the
next decade.
In two years. Capt. Ricken-
hacker says, airplanes will be
cruising high above the weather
with silent vibrationless COM
fort. initially in the speed band
Of sound. or about 600 miles an
hour. Continuing advances in
the development of jet power
will move these speeds up to
$500 miles an hour"
Lest Americans glow too
happily about this prospect,
they might note a remark by
Erie Cooke jr., a vice president
of Delta Airlines. Testifying in
Washington, he estimated Rus
STA now is flying about 40 COM
mercial jets in international
transport. The United States
won't have its first until mid
1858.
New Highways on Way
As the planes cleave the air
far overhead, millions of pri-
vate automobiles will travel
new, high speed highways on
the ground.
Within the next Is years O.
Of every 10 cities with a popu-
lation Of $4,000 or more will be
linked by new superhighways.
The Federal Government will
finance construction of $1,000
miles.
To get an idea Of what this
means, remember that today
the widely publicized toll high
ways amount to only a little
more than 1000 miles. Take Q
toll highway map and draw in
the new roads to be built-the
toll roads are an insignificant
part Of the whole.
Originally the Federal high
way program was expected to
cost $27. 622. 900, 900. Commerce
Secretary Weeks recently raised
that estimate by $40 billion.
And it may take as long as 20
years to complete.
II the cities are strangling in
traffic jams as drivers hunt for
parking spaces, If they are los
ing passenger train service, If
they cannot solve the problems
of mass, transportation-if all
these things are true, and they
are, there is one thing they can
do. They can build airports.
Cities Expand Airports
Look around:
In Salt Lake City work will
cart in July on a $40 million
project to accommodate jet air.
planes. Travel at the Salt Lake
Airport has increased an av-|
erage of IS per cent each year
for the past 10 years-"prob-
ably one of the highest in
creases in the Nation" says
, Joseph Bergin, airport man.
ager.
New Orleans recently ac-
quired Moisant international
Airport at Kenner, La, is miles
west, and is engaged in 3 81
million renovation program. A
monorail system to downtown
New Orleans is being discussed.
indianapolis is building longer
runways (for jets at its new
air terminal, completed in 1855.
New facilities at Boston's Lo-
gan Airport will cost $23 mil
lion. This airport has been
largely created in the past 10
years and its longest runway is
available for jet use. Void
Chamberlain Field at Minneap-
olis-St. Paul is in the midst Of
q big expansion program.
HelicOpters to Help
Baltimore's big Friendship
International Airport, costing
nearly SIS million, still has
plenty of room and there is
talk Of ringing the city with
helicopter airports for service
to Friendship.
Last December Oklahoma
City passed a 81 million bond
issue which, with matching
funds from the Federal Gov
eminent, will modernize the
Municipal Airport to accommo-
date jets. In Miami a Sc mil-
lion terminal building is under
construction. A new terminal
is going up at Portland, Ore.
A 50 million improvement
program is scheduled to start
this year at Des Moines Mu-
nicipal Airport. Nine million
dollars is involved in the cur
rent airport improvement pro-
gram at Columbus, Ohio.
Kansas City has constructed
a new airport II miles north
Of its downtown area. Toledo
has a new airport which is
hailed as one Of the most