REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON USES OF HIGHWAY PLANNING SURVEY DATA

PLANNING SURVEY DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS. EACH STATE WAS ASKED TO SUBMIT FULL DESCRIPTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS OF ALL USES OF PLANNING SURVEY DATA WHICH HAD BEEN MADE IN THE STATE AND WHICH HAD PROVED OF VALUE IN: (1) DEVELOPMENT OF OVER-ALL PROGRAMS, (2) PLANNING OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS, AND TRAFFIC OPERATIONS, AND (3) THE GUIDANCE OF HIGHWAY POLICY AND LEGISLATION. ROAD INVENTORY SURVEYS HAVE INDICATED THE EXISTING CONDITION OF ROAD SURFACES IN AN AREA, AND BY SOFT- LIGHTING CRITICAL DEFICIENCIES IN WIDTH, GRADIENT, ALINEMENT, AND SIGHT DISTANCE, HAVE HELPED TO GUIDE THE PLANNING OF HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS. THE APPLICATION OF TRAFFIC STUDIES' DATA TO HIGHWAY LOCATION AND GEOMETRIC DESIGN HAVE PROVED USEFUL. ORIGIN-DESTINATION SURVEYS PROVIDE THE BASIC DATA FOR DETERMINING THE DESIRED DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC FLOW. THE MOTOR-VEHICLE ALLOCATION STUDIES HAVE BEEN FOUND USEFUL IN DETERMINING THE DISTRIBUTION, OR INCIDENCE, OF THE MOTOR- VEHICLE TAX BURDEN AMONG VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT TYPES, SIZES, AND CLASSES OF USE, AND AMONG MOTOR-VEHICLE OWNERS WITH RESPECT TO RURAL AND URBAN RESIDENTS. THE ROAD-LIFE STUDIES ARE VERY ESSENTIAL TO THE ANALYSIS OF HIGHWAY COSTS. THE IMMENSE VOLUME OF DATA COLLECTED BY PLANNING SURVEYS HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERSTATE SYSTEMS, THE FEDERAL-AID SECONDARY SYSTEM, AND OF UPWARD AND DOWNWARD REVISIONS OF THE STATE SYSTEM OR SYSTEMS. SELECTIONS AND REVISIONS GENERALLY WERE BASED ON TRAFFIC VOLUMES, MILEAGE OF RURAL ROADS CARRYING AN EXCESSIVE AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC, VEHICLE MILES, AREA IN FARM LANDS, RURAL POPULATION, MOTOR-VEHICLE REGISTRATION, AND OTHER RELATED DATA.