HIGHWAY PLANNING SURVEYS AS A BASE FOR FUTURE WORK

WHEN THE HIGHWAY PLANNING SURVEYS WERE STARTED ON A NATION-WIDE SCALE IN 1936, FEW, IF ANY, STATES HAD RELIABLE INVENTORIES OF ALL HIGHWAY FACILITIES AND ALMOST AS MEAGER WERE DATA ON TRAFFIC. FOR THIS REASON, THE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION SERIES OF MAPS AND THE TRAFFIC FLOW SERIES WERE THE MOST APPRECIATED OF ALL OF THE EARLY WORK DONE. THE PUBLIC AND EVEN ADMINISTRATORS APPRECIATE AND WILL USE GRAPHICAL PRESENTATIONS OF FACTS WHEN THEY WILL NOT STUDY AND ANALYZE STATISTICS. NEARLY EVERY STATE HAS RELIED UPON PLANNING SURVEY DATA FOR THE LOGICAL SELECTION OF THE FEDERAL AID SECONDARY SYSTEM. FEW OF THE PLANNING SURVEYS HAVE PROGRESSED ENOUGH TO PERMIT THE SOLUTION OF THE MOST VITAL HIGHWAY PROBLEM-THE DETERMINATION OF THE SOLVENCY OF THE HIGHWAY ENTERPRISE AND THE PLANNING OF A SOUND LONG-TIME PROGRAM FOR THE EFFICIENT EXPENDITURE OF PROBABLE FUTURE REVENUES. SUCH AS PLAN IS THE SUREST SAFE-GUARD AGAINST RAIDS ON HIGHWAY FUNDS BY SHORT-SIGHTED, HARD-PRESSED LEGISLATORS. THE USES THAT ARE BEING MADE OF HIGHWAY PLANNING SURVEY DATA AS INDICATED BY THE REPORTS OF SO MANY STATES INDICATE THAT EVEN THE INCOMPLETE STUDIES HAVE MANY VALUES AND THAT THE SURVEYS ARE GRADUALLY FINDING THEIR PLACE IN A MORE INTELLIGENT PLANNING OF THE GREATEST PUBLIC BUSINESS IN AMERICA. THE REPORT CONTAINS SEVERAL TABLES IN WHICH ARE TABULATED BY STATES THE USES MADE OF PLANNING DATA SURVEY, THESE ARE LISTED UNDER, (1) PRIMARY, (2) EVERY DAY, AND (3) UNUSUAL USES AND SPECIAL STUDIES. /AUTHOR/