26744 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS September 23, 1969 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS CHANGING CHALLENGE IN HIGH­ centrated on the execution of the Interstate assessing the impact of land use of highway WAY DEVELOPMENT STRESSED highway program. Before we have completed construction, urban redevelopment, mining BY SENATOR RANDOLPH IN AD­ it sometime in the middle of the next dec­ and sanitary landfills. We are looking at the DRESS AT VIRGINIA MOTOR VE­ ade we will have spent approximately $70 bil­ question of biological imbalances created by lion on this massive public works under­ dredging, thermal pollution, pesticides, and HICLE CONFERENCE taking, begun 48 years ago. By then we will air pollution. And we are probing problems have achieved our goal of connecting every connected with flooding and dam construc­ major metropolitan center in the United tion, the effects of building reservoirs, and HON. WILLIAM B. SPONG, JR. States in a coast-to-coast and border-to­ the use of nuclear energy for power or con­ OF VIRGINIA border hook-up. struction. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES In the process of building our 42,500 miles The heart of our concern is best reflected in of Interstate and Defense highways, we will Tuesday, September 23, 1969 legislation introduced early this year by have produced vast wealth in the form of myself and 41 of my colleagues, the "En­ Mr. SPONG. Mr. President, this morn­ new homes, new plants, and new jobs. We vironmental Quality Improvement Act of ing the Virginia Motor Vehicle Confer­ will have repeated many times over the suc­ 1969," which has been incorporated in S. 7, cess of Route 128 outside of Boston. That one the water quality bill. That legislation pro­ ence held its third annual highway circumferential highway, known as the breakfast in Richmond as part of the vides for more effective coordination of Fed­ "Golden Crescent," has formed the base for a eral air quality, water quality and solid waste observance of National Highway Week. billion dollar investment in residential, com­ disposal programs, for the consideration of Attending were more than 200 repre­ mercial and industrial activity. environmental quality in all public works sentatives of industry, business and ag­ We, as a nation, will have achieved a goal programs and projects, and for the coordina­ riculture, elected officials and civic but not without paying a price in addition to tion of all Federal research programs which leaders of the Commonwealth of Vir­ the money that we are expending. The de­ improve knowledge of environmental modi­ ginia. velopment of the Interstate System has taken fications resulting from increased popula­ place to the detriment of our primary and tion and urban concentration. The plincipal address was delivered by secondary road system and our city streets. Hon. JENNINGS RANDOLPH, Senator from I am aware that the solutions to many of We have so concentrated our efforts that these problems do not now exist and tha1t West Virginia and chairman of the Sen­ the 225,000 miles of primary system and the the search for technology---economically ate Committee on Public Works, and of two million miles of other roads and streets feasible technology-may be a costly one. are no longer capable of serving the traffic its Subcommittee on Roads. He was in­ It is for this reason that I have, as Chairman troduced by John J. Wickstead, chair­ which daily uses them. These roads are al­ of the Committee on Public Works, em­ most all in need of reconstruction. Address­ man of the conference. ing this problem must be the next item on phasized so heavily the importance of Federal Also speaking were Edward V. Kiley, coordination and support for research and the agenda of highway legislation for the development in all of these areas. research counsel of the American Truck­ post-1975 period. In this respect I would an­ But the problem ls not one of research ing Associations, who was introduced by ticipate that the Congress will dispense with the different categories of 90-10 and 50-50 in itself. Nor can it rest solely on the Fed­ E. H. Williams, Jr., vice chairman of the eral government. Industry must take a big conference, and Douglas B. Fugate, com­ matching funds, and authorize a single matching formula for all Federal-aid high­ share in the solution, as its share in the missioner of the Virginia Department of product of a clean and wholesome environ­ Highways. ways in the order of 70 % Federal funds and ment will be large. 30% State funds. Senator RANDOLPH'S address was very During the development of the Interstate Meeting these goals ls the changing chal­ pertinent to the present and future role System, we have for the first time encoun­ lenge in highway development. No one can of highways in our national life and to tered public resistance to highway construc­ question the ability of the coordinated National Highway Week. Therefore, Mr. tion. Important and serious questions have effort of Government and industry to build been raised with respect to planning, loca­ for us the most effective and efficient high­ President, I ask unanimous consent to way network in the history of the world. have Sena.tor RANDOLPH'S address printed tion and design. As we have entered into a period of relative atlluence-much of which What we are doing is changing the defi­ in the RECORD. is owed to the construction of roads-the nition of what constitutes the "most effec­ There being no objection, the address people of the communities through which tive and efficient transportation system." was ordered printed in the RECORD, as the highways pass have begun to ask for It is gratifying that under the leadership follows. more consideration and concern with regard of Douglas B. Fuguate, Virginia's Commis­ THE CHANGING CHALLENGE IN HIGHWAY to the impact on their neighborhoods and sioner of Highways and Robert G. Bartlett. DEVELOPMENT their way of life. People generally have begun President of the American Road Builder's Association and Secretary of Highways of the (By Senator JENNINGS RANDOLPH) to expect highways which will not only get them there faster and more safely but in ad­ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, meetings It is a privilege to address this group in a dition, provide for travel which will be a have been held with those concerned with state so ably represented by Sen. Harry F. pleasurable experience in itself. historical preservation and with matters of Byrd, Jr., and Sen. William B. Spong, Jr. As the Committee on Public Works begins conservation. The sessions with the con­ Senator Spong has contributed consider­ to look ahead at the prospect of a new high­ servationists were held on June 16 and as ably to our highway programs through his way program to follow the completion of the recently as last Wednesday, September 17 membership on the Public Works Committee Interstate Program, we are looking back to and are part of a series which ARBA and and its Subcommittee on Roads. the needs of the cities and counties for im­ AASHO are undertaking to improve under­ The evolution of America's highways has proved highway facilities. It is obvious that standing between those concerned with carried through many transitions on the way we must once again give priority and focus highway construction and those who have to producing the most complete and most attention on the feeder road systems, our city deep concern with the need to preserve our efficient network of transportation links of streets and our inter-suburban connections natural heritage. The purpose of these con­ any nation in the world. While our methods which for the past thirteen years we have ferences is to work out practical, cooperative and techniques have changed, our goal has relegated to a secondary category. As we plan procedures so that conflicts between their remained to make our national highways the ahead, we must take into account the grow­ objectives can be avoided. To the extent that vital tool for the growth of our society and ing aspirations of the American people. We accommodation can be reached through our economy. can no longer build highways which appear their joint efforts, we will increase the control The program as it was first conceived and as lines on a map and scars on the country­ of local people over their transportation and carried forward in the Federal Aid Highway side. We must concern ourselves with the environmental interests. Act of 1921 was for the purpose of providing impact which the passage of thousands of We will rely heavily in the future as we the basic roads needed to facilitate move­ cars a day has on the quality of the environ­ have in the past on the ava.ilability of high­ ment between communities with their en­ ment which surrounds them. The impact of ways for transportation and communica­ virons. For the first twenty years of this highways on the environment ls but one tion. Highways are the great catalyst for effort we concentrated exclusively on the aspect of our broader concern for more effec­ the economic and industrial progress. development of "from the farm to market" tive and humane uses of modern technology. This is National Highway Week. Its slogan and "feeder roads". Following World War Il, The Committee on Public Works has cre­ is "Highways Bring Better Living". It is the we turned our attention to the construction ated an Advisory Panel of scientists, en­ belief of the members Of the Senate Commit­ of a national network of high speed ex­ gineers, and other professionals from a wide tee on Public Works that highways can pressways built to the best available engi­ range of disciplines who will help us isolate bring an even better way of living if we will neering standards.