DISCUSSION OF REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ANALYSIS

THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SURVEY CONDUCTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE SHOWS THAT TOTAL STATE TRAFFIC INCREASED 100 PERCENT SINCE 1922 AND DURING THE FOUR-YEAR PERIOD 1918-1922, THE INCREASE WAS 300 PERCENT. BASED ON THIS SURVEY, THE APPROXIMATE INCREASE OF TRAFFIC IN THE NEXT FIVE OR TEN YEARS CAN BE ESTIMATED. DURING THE SUMMER VACATION SEASON THE TOTAL DAILY TRAFFIC IS DOUBLE AND IN SOME INSTANCES TREBLE OF THE REGULAR DAILY TRAFFIC. THIS IS JUST A QUESTION OF WHETHER IT IS MORE ECONOMICAL TO CONSTRUCT AND MAINTAIN ROADS WITH A HIGH TYPE OF SURFACE TO CARRY THE TYPE OF TRAFFIC THAT TRAVERSES THESE ROADS FOR ONLY 3 OR 4 MONTHS EACH YEAR, OR IS IT MORE ECONOMICAL TO INCREASE THE MILEAGE OF LOW TYPE SURFACE ROADS SO THAT MORE OF THE FARMING COMMUNITIES ARE MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PRESENT TRUNK LINE SYSTEM. THEREFORE, UNIFORM LAWS FOR ALL STATES RELATIVE TO TRAFFIC AND MOTOR VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY ARE DIFFICULT. THERE IS A LARGE MILEAGE OF GRAVEL SURFACE ROADS ON THE TRUNK SYSTEM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WHICH RESULTED FROM THE POLICY TO SPREAD THE ROAD DOLLAR OVER AS LARGE AN AREA AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO DO THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATER NUMBER. REFERENCES: REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, G.E. HAMLIN, HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 6, PP. 265- 279, 1927.