SUPERHIGHWAYS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18896, 11 January 1927, Page 12

SUPERHIGHWAYS.

AN AMERICAN CRITIC.

PARALLEL STRIPS ADVOCATED

Super-highway systems as a means of relieving road congestion by affording a greater traffic 1 area have been adopted in road improvement plans for Dotroit and Chicago, and, to less extent, in other parts of America. By super-highways are meant thoroughfares of 100 feet or more in width, providing several lines of motor traffic.

Such roads are strongly criticised in the "New York Times" by Mr Caley, secretary of the Cleveland Automobile Club. Ho says that investigations by tho club show that the construction of such highways would be a waste of public money, "It is tho belief of the general public," ho says, "that wide boulevards nid traffic expedition. They would if driving conditions were ideal. But, as every traffic student knows, these conditions are far from ideal. There are road hogs numbered among tho millions of motorists in the nation, and although these rond hogs aro comparatively few, they afford a condition which cannot bo overlooked."

A road hog is a driver who takes his half ,of the road from tho middle, hugging the whito lino that runs down tho centre. Mr Calcy adds to this that the road hog proceeds at-a slow pace regardless of the loss of time and the inconvenience caused to others.

The critic maintains that tho purposes of a good road can best be accomplished if it is moderately wide, built of good lasting material, and is smooth, with no dangerous -turns or railroad crossings. Instead of a highway 200 feet or more in width ho therefore advocates a number of parallel strips—the same principle as has to bo adopted in railroad construction when the traffic exceeds the capacity of a double track. In the case of railways the building of parallel tracks is tho only way out.