4We Have to Look at Both Sides'

HIGHWAY US^R(National Highway Users Conference) •^e'Dtember I1 Director of Public Roads Frank Turner answers some questions about roadside hazards—and explains some of the problems that confront highway officials 4We Have to Look at Both Sides' by Phyllis Dee Lovoca Associate Editor, HIGHWAY USER RANCIS C. TURNER, director of official," he answered. "In the high USER interview. Public Roads, came up through the way field, we have added socio-eco "Oh yes," he assured us. "I've read Fchairs. He has been in the Bureau of nomic and other considerations to the that, of course." Public Roads for 38 years—ever since engineering approach that we had 15 The conversation continued as fol his graduation as a civil engineer from years or so ago. Yes. I think it is a lows: Texas A and M. difficult time." Mr. Turner, what was your reaction He is a gentle appearing, quiet Critical? The August issue of HIGH to the interview with Representative spoken public servant. But the Fed WAY USER carried an interview with Blatnik? eral Government juggernaut has by no Rep. John A. Blatnik (D., Minn.) on Well, first off, highway officials are means quelled Frank Turner's ability hearings of the House Special Sub for safety as much as the Congressman to hold or express strong, individual committee on the Federal Aid High is. Maybe more, if that is possible. opinions. He does not speak the way Program, of which the Congress It is a fundamental consideration in guarded gobbledegook of many civil man is chairman. In particular, the everything we do. Here at BPR, we servants, even those at the highest interview dealt with so-called roadside think we pioneered in highway safety. levels. He talks freely. He sounds hazards—bridge piers too close to the Our designs and construction methods like a man who is his own man. He road, sign mountings that could de are all aimed at increasing the safety obviously feels himself part of a fra molish cars out of control, guard rails of the highways for the user. This is ternity of highway officials and is which either fail to guard or seem to so elemental with us we have not sep proud of the brotherhood. constitute still another obstacle. Parts arated safety out of the highway pro We asked him if he thought this an of the interview could be construed as gram as a single item. It is threaded unusually difficult time to be in the critical of some highway officials. through everything and has been from high office he occupies or, indeed, to We wanted Mr. Turner's comments the beginning of the present program be a highway official at any level. on the roadside hazard situation and and before. Sight distances, widths of "It might be one of the most diffi on the Blatnik hearings, in particular. lanes, clearances, ratio of curvature, cult times to be any kind of a public We asked if he had read the HIGHWAY shoulders—all these are elements of Page 18 Highway User / September, 1967 Vacation Notes TF AST MONTH WE TOOK A VACATION MOTOR TRIP TO CENTRAL HEW YORK •U-D STATE, THE ROUTE WE CHOSE FROM ALEXANDRIA, VA., WAS THROUGH MARYLAND, DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY AND NEW YOTK. TOE FIRST TWO SEG MENTS—THE CAPITAL BELTWAY AND THE WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE PARK WAY—WERE TOLL-FREE; BUT THEN THE TOLLS BEGAN, AS FOLLOWS: BALTIMORE TUNNEL, 50 CENTS: KENNEDY HIGHWAY (THROUGH MARYLAND AND DELA WARE), $135; DELAWARE RIVER BRIDGE, 50 CENTS; NEW JERSEY TURN- I PIKE $1; GARDEN STATE PARKWAY, $1 J NEW YORK THRUWAY $2.75. THE TOTAL WAS $7.10—AND THAT WAS ONE WAY. WHILE IN NEW YORK WE Safety Stripes VISITED LAKE GEORGE, LAKE PLACID AND OTHER AREAS IN THE ADIRONDACK, Promotion of the use of a red and AND ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE SCENERY IS AS BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL white striped base for arteiial stop AS EVER. BUSINESS WAS BOOMING AT LAKE GEORGE, BUT RESORT AND MOTEL signs is a project of the Idaho- ] OPERATORS AT LAKE PLACID COMPLAIN THAT THEIR BUSINESS HAS BEEN HURT Montana-Utah Council of the United I THIS YEAR BY MONTREAL'S EXPO *67. VACATIONERS HEADING FOR EXPO Commercial Travelers. Designed by DRIVE STRAIGHT UP NEW YORK'S NORTHWAY, BYPASSING LAKE PLACID, SOME C, E. Fritz, of Billings, Mont., it has been used experimentally in two 30 MILES TO THE WEST AND HERE IS ONE VOTE FOR IHE NORTHWAY AS A cities at intersections where trees, SPLENDID HIGHWAY, BOTH FROM THE ENGINEERING AND SCENIC STANDPOINTS. shading and poor background have IT'S TOLL-FREE, TOO. SOMETHING WE WOULD RECOMMEND AS DEFINITELY reduced the visibility of the conven tional stop sign installations, A be WORTHWHILE FOR ANYONE TRAVELING IN THAT AREA IS A TOUR OF HISTORIC fore and after survey of the number FORT TICONDEROGA, NOW ALMOST COMPLETELY RESTORED. THE MASSIVE of drivers failing to stop has shown STONE FORTRESS WAS OCCUPIED AT VARIOUS TIMES BY THE FRENCH, THE a remarkable reduction at intersec BRITISH, THE AMERICANS, AND THE BRITISH AGAIN. THERE ARE FASCI tions where the striped base has been NATING EXHIBITS DEPICTING EACH ERA, INCLUDING, OF COURSE, MUCH INDIAN installed, according to sponsors, who LORE. AND FOR SMALL CHILDREN, A VISIT TO NORTH POLE, N. Y., AT also state that its use has cut the number of accidents at intersections THE FOOT OF WHITEFACE MOUNTAIN, IS A MUST. HERE, IN AN INTRIGUING so marked. VILLAGE DEDICATED TO MAKE-BELIEVE, LIVE SANTA CLAUS AND HIS HELPERS IN PEPPERMINT-STRIPED BUILDINGS, ALONG WITH THE REINDEER AND OTHER ANIMALS. ADULTS WILL FIND IT INTERESTING, TOO. traction and penetration characteristics of soft soils were studied in lab tests T5T in which weighted tires were driven ANOTHER OF OUR FAVORITE SPOTS, IN CENTRAL NEW YORK, IS COOPERS- by means of a test rig through a 75 TOWN, HOME OF THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME, PLUS FIVE OTHER MUSEUMS, foot long bin of mud. ALL WORTH VISTING. LOCATED ON THE SHORES OF NINE MILE-LONG OTSEGO Prom their measurements of soft LAKE, IT WAS THE SETTING FOR JAMES FENNIMORE COOPER'S LEATHERSTOCK- soil 'and other surface obstacles the ING TALES, AND IT IS A PERFECT GEM OF A VILLAGE.... AT OUR HOMETOWN OF scientists devised a statistical sampling LITTLE FALLS, FOR THE FIRST TIME WE WENT "PROSPECTING" FOR "LITTLE FALLS of the earth's terrain which was in DIAMONDS," IN REALITY FORMS OF QUARTZ CRYSTALS WHICH STRONGLY RESEM corporated in the computerized equa BLE THE REAL THING. THIS INVOLVES USING A HAMMER, CHISEL, PICK-AX tions. AND SLEDGE HAMMER—AND BANGING AWAY AT ROCKS. IF YOU ARE LUCKY Van Deusen said the mobility YOU WILL CHIP AWAY IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND FIND A LODE. WE WERE FOR studies identify six major areas of TUNATE AND DUG OUT AN EVEN DOZEN OF THE "DIAMONDS." . interest: soft soil mechanics, vehicle ^ dynamics, obstacle crossing capabili hi r~i tr+ ty, obstacle avoidance, environmental \ HAVE YOU TRIED ONE OF THE DO-IT-YOURSELF CAR WASH MACHINES factor classification and amphibious J YET? WE FIND THEY WORK QUITE WELL—AND NOW MOST OF THEM HAVE operation. I VACUUM HOSES SO THAT YOU CAN CLEAN THE INTERIOR OF YOUR CAR, AS In addition, the computer study J WELL. .. QUICK NOW, HOW MANY LIGHT BULBS ARE THERE IN THE AVERAGE provides engineers with information 1967 MODEL AUTOMOBILE? WOULD YOU BELIEVE 34? WELL, THAT IS THE on vehicle induced human respones I ANSWER, AND IT IS AN ALL TIME HIGH—TWO BULBS MORE THAN WERE IN related to driver fatigue and efficiency. THE 1966 MODELS. MONSANTO'S TEXTILES DIVISION SUGGESTS THIS The Chrysler scientist believes his I METHOD OF DETERMINING WHETHER YOUR TIRE TREAD HAS BEEN WORN TO mathematical investigations into vehi ! THE MINIMUM DEPTH OF 1/16 OF AN INCH: INSERT THE HEAD OF A BOOK cle mobility will reduce the lead time MATCH INTO THE MIDDLE GROOVE OF YOUR TIRES; IF YOU CAN SEE HALF OF required for the development of spe THE HEAD, IT'S TIME TO BUY A NEW TIRE. PLASTIC SHRUBS SHOULD BE cialized vehicles for the military. • PLACED ALONG THE NATION'S HIGHWAYS, A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY COMMIS "People are constantly thinking of SIONER BELIEVES. HE SAYS THAT THEY WOULDN'T REQUIRE WATERING, AS new ideas in military vehicle mobility. DO THE REAL VARIETY SEATTLE POLICE ENCASE PARKING TICKETS IN PLASTIC Now we can analytically evaluate new- ENVELOPES—SO THAT MOTORISTS CAN'T ARGUE IN TRAFFIC COURT THAT THEY concepts long before they reach the COULDN'T READ THE SUMMONS BECAUSE IT WAS RAIN SOAKED.... ^ hardware stage," he said. Highway User / September, 1967 Page 17 the safety of the highway. Are these standards being improved On roadside hazards—take the ex Ua the time? Yes. We have research going con ample of a massive sign that could be stantly on these and other elements of hit by a car out of control. highway design. All of the design peo We have to look at both sides of ple in BPR and the State highway this. The sign was put there to convey departments are constantly trying to a message to the motorist so that he think of better ways to do things. Sev can operate safely. We know that, in eral AASHO committees are on this order to convey that message, the sign job all the time. They and we are must be large enough so that it can always trying to improve the policies be read. What is more, it must be read and practices of the whole highway far enough away so that the motorist engineering profession.

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