N THESE days, when motor I vehicles and highways are blamed by some for a large share of everything wrong in our con Fact or Fiction— temporary society, it may be ap propriate to recall that we had nearly three million miles of roads and streets in this country in 1916. Then we had only 102 The Chal million people and 3.6 million motor vehicles. That was the year when federal aid for highways was first authorized. Since then, this total has increased by only about 700 thousand miles—to some 3.7 million miles of roads and streets of all kinds. Most of the investment in high ways during this period has been committed, not to new routes but to improvements of an existing system. In other words, the joint cent of all travel in the largest magic carpet that exists only is effort by the federal and state cities is concerned with trips the minds of dreamers. governments has been directed which are almost entirely depend I would like to digress a minute, largely toward improving—in ent on the private automobile or if that is the word, to mer.tto terms of capacity, utility and taxi, since they are of a type the situation in Washington, D.C safety—the basic network that which neither rail nor bus transit because it illustrates all of tfc we have had since horse and can accommodate. elements of the problem. A sti buggy days. But even more to the point is way system is moving toward ft: The new mileage which has the indisputable preference of construction stage, and work k been added to the highway net the American people for transpor been halted on freeways plar,nai work in this past half-century tation by automobile. If there was for as long as 10 years in cooper has been in response to a demand ever any question about this, it ation with the states of Marylart for mobility which becomes great was resolved in two opinion sur and Virginia. er every year. And there is no veys recently completed for the I am not contending that ft end to this demand in sight, espe National Academy of Sciences by subway is impractical or unnw cially in the urban areas. There professional poll-takers. The sur ed, merely that it is no substituf; the majority of our people al veys covered more than 5,000 for the planned expressways, Tc ready live and there this ma households, and the great major opposition to the freeway pre jority will increase to dimensions ity of respondents reported that gram has come from various a that will become truly awesome they consider the automobile as terests and groups, particuliv in the later years of this century. much closer to the "ideal mode of from the poorer elements of tt When I use the word "awesome," transportation" for all trips ex population who fear displacemei I am not referring to the right of cept business trips over 500 miles. and who also contend that fra people to live where they choose, Public transportation of all ways are rich men's corrida but to the problems which the kinds—air, train, bus, rail transit Their criticism overlooks tlie k continuing urban gravitation and taxi—was considered closer that both the freeway and a means in terms of moving them to the ideal mode by only 12 per systems were jointly planned around, to and from the places cent of those responding to the complement each other, audita where they wish to go. poll. major change in the plars fe either mode will require compl*. Some of those people, who pro Despite this overwhelming pref revision of the whole transport: pose mass transit as the easy and erence for the private car, and tion plan. instant solution to all of these the flexibility it affords, there problems, either don't know have been loud critics against There are two significant pen: about, or deliberately ignore, the highways and the internal com in this connection. First, theprc; nature of these daily movements bustion engine, particularly in the lem of dislocation has certain, by our urban population. The urban areas and, more particu not gone unnoticed in the Distri;, great mass of urban area travel larly, in relation to freeways. We of Columbia. For instance, i is entirely separate from the have a whole new breed of ama entire design of a freeway K] home-to-job commuting pattern, teur instant experts who would scrapped by the D.C. Highft which is the only part of travel do away with highways altogeth Department to move the loratir, these mass transit planners are er, and they would force everyone over the Baltimore and Ohio Pi considering. As much as 95 per- to ride a subway, or some kind of road, and thereby to reduce i-
8 AMERICAN ROAD BUIUI 0C It to Highways
By Francis C. Turner Director of Public Roads Federal Highway Administration U.S. Department of Transportation facaiaits by 75 percent after a and practicality. Some of his gen recreational facilities above, be lablic hearing was held on the eral statements may be of inter low or alongside the urban high IMPOSED plan. est, along with my reaction to way. One of the most important 3e;DND, the cost per person per them. social aspects of the joint develop TIP for the subway system is One of his key theses is that ment concept is the opportunity wnsiderably more than the free- highways are subsidized and that which it frequently affords for re IAY-BUS-street combination. Offi- this gives them a competitive ad placement housing of better quali rial projections indicate that in vantage over other transport ty for those persons displaced by 1990 the $2.5 billion D.C. transit modes while they create no bene the highway project. It also itfza WILL handle only 22 fitsper -to urban areas. makes the most efficient use of cant OF the peak-hour work trip Highways are not subsidized. both funds and space in urban NOVEMENT of people. But the cost They are paid for by the people areas. ai 3IL of the proposed freeway who use them and who pay their Joint development is the an SJSTEN, PLUS other new highway various use taxes for the privilege, swer in many areas to social and ad STREET needs over the next 20 plus about a 25 percent average economic problems but we have wrs. is estimated at about S2surcharg e which is diverted to found to our dismay that the lion. And this will handle 78 general government purposes. foot-draggers in these projects are mat of the peak-hour work Highways are beneficial in that usually the other "jointees," rath TIP load, including 47 percent of the transportation they afford is er than the highway people. So tt load in the central business a human and social value of a the highway official is often BTRICT. high order, serving to substan blamed for inaction of others who tially create many other fine val are largely responsible for the ar in mind that this is only ues which our society demands plight of displaced persons. In any ie peak-hour work trips, and not and enjoys. Highways serve many case, the opportunities which total daily load. other human values, especially in highways afford to rebuild cities !OOD transportation is for all urban areas, We are encouraging far exceed the damage and dislo •stents of society, including the their use as instruments of gen cation which they sometimes ne IDERPRMLEGED, and a lack of eral social progress, provided cessarily cause, and which are FFEIENT transportation especially these sets of values can be made more subject to publicity. compatible with the principal pur tos the poor. The bus-freeway- pose of highways, which is toWe have hundreds of studies mt combination provides the move people and goods.whic h show the economic benefits IKTEST flexibility at the lowest of highways. A case in point is "4 to answer the so-called "poor The Bureau of Public Roads, Route 128, a circumferential AN'S" transportation need. in cooperation with state high highway around Boston. Opened Recently. I attended a seminar way departments, is encouraging in 1951, over $137 million had z TECHNOLOGY and urban trans the joint development concept, been invested by 1959 in new lation. The speaker was a under which highways serve a plants employing some 27,500 VJUNG MAN full of big words and multi-purpose function. They can workers along th e route. Al- 'JRIITA ideas about urban trans be used, for example, to pro\ide though some of this activity in lation, but if you analyze the "package" development of de volved relocation, the net gain to to, the ideas are long on ima- sirable non-highway needs—such the metropolitan area represented -jaftm but short on accuracy as housing, business, parking and an estimated $129 million, and
OCTOBER 1968 9 It is not really a question of either/or—either public trans portation or private cars. It is a question of complementing both modes of travel so that all people can get to where they want to go, how they want to go, and when they want to go. added 19,000 new employees to that in the future the growth of alleys and sidewalks. So the i the area's payrolls. jobs will occur mostly in the sub leged voracious demands of to In Cook County, Illinois, com urban areas, with little change or automobile have required an addi mercial land along the Edens Ex a moderate rate of increase in the tional temporary and diminish pressway rose in value as much central city. ing 15 percent, surely not a hig:. as 750 to 1,000 percent over an It is largely for this reason that price to pay for the speed, con eight-year period. The value of mass transit—neither rail nor venience and flexibility of TIN land along the New York Thru- rubber-tired—cannot substitute private motor vehicle whid way near Syracuse increased ten for the private automobile. Trans makes all the rest of the 50 per fold in a very few years after the portation is an infinite number of cent of occupied land as valuable expressway was opened. personalized trips, some of which as it is—and which value woii overlap each other. But most of not exist without the auto acces- THE ARGUMENT IS MADE THAT THE these trips begin and end at the sibility. AUTOMOBILE AND THE HIGHWAY HAVE doors of our homes. There will al Pierre L'Enfant, the great CONTRIBUTED TO VARIOUS SOCIAL PROB ways be an irreducible minimum LEMS IN THE CITIES AND THAT THIS French planner who laid out t of passenger car traffic, made up city of Washington, D.C, in 111 HAS CAUSED THE MASS FLIGHT TO THE of trips that cannot be accommo SUBURBS. proposed 59 percent of the totil dated by any other means of area for roads and streets. Tta People move to the sub transportation. history shows us that our currerl urbs for the positive values they auto-highway transport systec THE CHARGE IS FREQUENTLY MADE find there—not to escape the neg has actually permitted us to I*I THAT FREEWAYS "CHEW UP" TREMEN atives of the inner city. The ghet duce the area of streets from ttaj DOUS AMOUNTS OF SCARCE URBAN to dweller also aspires to move to felt necessary in horse and bugei; LAND NEEDED FOR OTHER PURPOSES. the suburbs—again because of days. The changed land use taj positive values. We strive for the Urban freeways presently plan obviously put land back into higtj luxuries of life, something more ned will require less than three economic use and produced jofe; than the minimum. We all want percent of the land in the cities. income, and tax revenues ttai two cars, dessert at dinner, an In Los Angeles—sometimes con otherwise would not have eastaT extra suit of clothes, presents for sidered a horrible example—the for the benefit of either Sacra-; the kids—things beyond the bas proposed 800 miles of freeways mento or Washington. ics. The automobile did not cause that will weave through the met the flight to the suburbs, but it ropolitan area by 1980 will oc ANOTHER CONTENTION IS that im\ made it possible, and obviously cupy only about two percent of WAYS are INORDINATELY expensive; this is what the people wanted. the available land. Expense is a relative term. Ob Presently, 67 percent of Ameri It has been said that half the viously, urban freeways cost more can families in metropolitan areas total area of Los Angeles is de dollars per mile to build thanmos: live in single family houses, a pro voted to highways, streets and of the rural connecting routes. portion that is rising. Present parking—in other words, to the But measured in terms of servfe trends, and the results of surveys, motor vehicle. This is true of the to vehicles—and thus to peopk- suggest that the preference of city's central business district, they are the best bargains avail families for their own private although a large share of parking able in highways. On the basis oi homes in a suburban-type setting represents land in a transitional vehicle miles of use or service, is deeply rooted. The metropoli stage while it is being changed they are the cheapest of all. Ts tan form of urban development by developers into new high-rise illustrate, the actual cost per ve-i has also allowed industries and office buildings. But 50 years ago, hicle-mile of urban freeways or! businesses a wider freedom of lo 35 percent of the central business the Interstate system is 0.646 cation choice. The expectation is district was devoted to streets, cents. The comparable cost for
10 AMERICAN ROAD BUILD!! lowest type rural roads and of facilities serve different com way facilities in urban areas and ;]KTS is about 3.24 cents. ponents of travel. They are not in in stretching the capacity of Another point that should be terchangeable. In some cases, as those we have or are developing. .nade is that freeways are by no in that of the Eisenhower Ex The Bureau of Public Roads ams THE private reservation of pressway in Chicago, they can co recently submitted a Report to Jte passenger car, as some critics exist and complement each other. Congress on the highwa3r needs of stuld have it. They also serve Although a rail transit line runs the Nation. This was in response is main arteries for buses, pro down the center median of the to a Congressional directive and ving safe, fast service en route, Eisenhower Expressway, the was based largely on data and .nth local service at both trip great preponderance of potential estimates by the states. These ends. The place of bus transit in customers rely on the freeway. data include a preliminary an our TOTAL transportation system is Inbound person trips are split nual cost estimate of road and £ tremendous importance. Buses 42.5 percent by rail transit and street needs for the years 1973- presently carry 70 percent of all 57.5 percent by freeway during 85. This comes to an average an transit passengers in urban areas. the peak hours. Outbound peak nual cost of $17.4 billion, which Bus transit is, and probably will hour trips do not differ greatly— is more than double the $8.5 bil continue to be, the only form of lion per year estimated annual mass transit in at least 95 per- 46.8 percent by rail and 53.2 per isit of our urban areas of 50,000cen t by freeway. When you con capital accomplishments at the population, and in all smaller sider a 24-hour day, however, the present time. :omnunities. I repeat, bus transit picture is vastly different. Here This is a monetary measure provides the greatest flexibility we find—on a 24-hour basis— ment, but there are others. In at tie lowest cost for those with that 71.3 percent of the inbound 1985, instead of 200 million peo out automobiles. trips are by the expressway and ple, we will have about 265 only 28.7 percent by rail. Out million. Instead of 100 million We are making a special and bound trips are almost identical motor vehicles, we will have {cntio'ng effort to encourage —71.6 percent by freeway and something like 144 million. And the greater use of mass transit by 28.4 percent by rail. instead of 960 billion motor ve bus through the provision of bet Moreover, the freeway and the hicle miles of travel per year, we TER routes, either on freeways or city streets also carry the freight are expected to have 1.5 trillion. on regular city streets or a com- traffic of the city for its essential And these add up to the new I BATTEN of both. This makes services and cargo movements. challenges facing the highway I sense, obviously, since the pur- They move the garbage and de program in the years ahead. Per i PJSE of these arteries is to move liver the ice cream, move the haps if someone can find ways to ' PEOPLE and goods, rather than firemen, police, doctors, school keep people at home in substan I just vehicles. At the same time, kids, fuel, groceries and do dozens tial numbers, then the remainder IT serves the other desirable pur- of other tasks which neither ad could be accommodated on the ex 1 fose of enhancing safety and re- jacent rail tracks nor any other isting system, after a fashion, and [ citing air pollution in the urban make new facilities unnecessary. AEAS, as well as easing conges- subway or metro rail line can per ] tion. form. But how will you choose those to In looking ahead, therefore, it stay at home—and how will you I Highway officials are frequent that any form massenforc e your choice in a free so yl accused of having blind spots is unlikely of transit—rail, bus, air, hydrofoil, ciety such as ours? My answer j toward the advantages of other lies in just what we are now do moving sidewalks or what have j iieans of transport, particularly ing—responding to the general you—will eliminate the need for i rail lines. If this was ever true, public demand to provide a good j it is not the case today; there is a continuing program of provid highway network. @ ' general realization that both kinds ing substantial additional high l OCTOBER 1968 LL 0$
By John V. How
Executive Vice Prestfe
Association, k
N THE CLOSING days of Min empt from the tax, as is the case this tax relief law was intends;
nesota's special legislative ses in most states, for the obvious to accomplish, and when it wc sion, when much effort was being reason that most roads are built suggested in the final hours tte directed by the Legislature to with tax money, whether by pri a tax on materials used in trurJ ward amending and passing Min vate assessment against abutting and interstate highways miglr nesota's first sales tax law, a newpropert y owners, by cities and produce 2 to 3 million dollars, an: paragraph was added. This Subd. villages, by counties, or by high that the Federal Governim 4 is as follows: way users' taxes in the case of would be required to share in tte state trunk highways and inter due to the fact they contribute "Nothing herein shall exempt the state highways. Since tax monies substantially to our state high gross receipts from sales of road build way construction, the committe ing materials intended for use in state for the construction of streets, trunk highway or inter-state highway roads and highways have gener accepted the suggestion. construction, whether purchased by the ally been insufficient to provide Unfortunately, there was H state or its contractors." adequate quality and safety for time for this proposition to t This removed the exemption the greatly mounting traffic thoroughly discussed and tf heretofore provided in Paragraph needs, it is logical that a tax on problems and pitfalls analyze! "h" of Section 25, which provided these agencies would reduce the That this might be unconstite an exemption from the sales tax amount available and make the tional may have occurred :: from the sale of, and the storage, problem even greater in each in some, but it was too late to ha* use, or consumption of all materistance mentioned above. the regular, lengthy formal hear als ... . used or consumed .... In the closing days, however, ings provided during the regife in road building. there was a frantic search for session by the highway and It Until Subd. 4 was added, all every possible source of revenue tax committees. In fact, wordc road building materials were ex to provide the many benefits that the agreement to add Subd. 4w. 12 AMERICAN ROAD BUM