HIGHWAY PLANNING IN A RURAL STATE

THE THREE PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES OF HIGHWAY PLANNING SURVEYS ARE: ROAD INVENTORY, TRAFFIC SURVEY, AND FINANCIAL SURVEY. ORIGIN AND DESTINATION STUDIES WERE MADE IN THE TRAFFIC SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ON ALL ROADS AND CLASSIFY THE TRAFFIC BY VEHICLE TYPES AND SIZES. THE FINANCIAL SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED TO ASCERTAIN TAX LEVIES, TAX COLLECTIONS AND EXPENDITURES OVER A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF TIME. THE ROAD INVENTORY MAPPED ALL ROADS OPEN TO PUBLIC TRAVEL IN THE STATE AND TABULATED SUCH INFORMATION AS WOULD DETERMINE THE ADEQUACY OF THE FACILITIES FOR PRESENT AND PROBABLY FUTURE TRAFFIC. FULL USE OF THE DATA GATHERED BY THE PLANNING SURVEYS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD ROADS TO STANDARDS ADEQUATE FOR THE DUTY TO BE IMPOSED UPON THEM. THE DATA COLLECTED AND BEING KEPT CURRENT BY THE PLANNING SURVEYS FORM AN ALMOST INEXHAUSTIBLE RESERVOIR OF INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR THE SOUND SOLUTION OF BASIC HIGHWAY PROBLEMS.