AMERICAN TRAFFIC.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4922, 6 January 1926, Page 3

AMERICAN TRAFFIC.

ITS VOLUME TO-DAY.

COUNTS ON DIFFERENT ROADS.

The advocates of laying expensive surfaces on New Zealand’s main highways because .they are found to be the only kind that stand up .to the traffic in the United States, would do well to bear in mind what that .traffic is. New" Zealand's main highways carry from 100 to 500 or so vehicles a day, and about £5l per mile per annum is their average cost of maintenance. Here is the sort of traffic for which America lays down costly surfaces. The figures are from the October issue of “Good Roads” : —

“The extent to which traffic on some of the great transcontinental or main artery highways is increasing year by year and demonstrating the absolute necessity of higher type roads, or .Of -applying a wearing course of asphaltic construction .to the heavily travelled macadam'and gravel highways, is shown by traffic counts that have been made in the eastern section of the country.

“A traffic count on the Lincoln Highway, taken just outside of Jersey City, N.J., across the Hudson from New York, ,on the - route from New York to Philadelphia, shows that approximately 5000 more vehicles are using this road each day now "'than was the case in 1920. In 1920 the traffic count, at this point was 12,000 vehicles, per day. The latest count shows 16,930 per day. On the Lincoln Highway, five miles west of Philadelphia, on the route to Pittsburgh, the latest count showed 6852 vehicles per day, a substantial increase in that section.

“The White Horse Pike, between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, carries a heavy traffic, especially on Saturday and Sunday. The average for a three-day .count taken recently, including Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, was 10,050 vehicles per day, with a maximum . hourly traffic between 5 a,nd 6 p.m. of 1008 vehicles. . *The Boston Post Road leading into New Haven, Conn.,' from New 1 York City, at the time of a big athletic event at Yale, showed a maximum hourly traffic between fr and 7 p.m. of 1393 vehicles, Avith..'766l vehicles for a'twelve-hour count from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“The Washington-Baltimore Road in Maryland showed 766 a,nd 1173 vehicles per day on two. diffeient counts.

• “Michigan Avenue, Chicago, is now the most heavily travelled stireet in America, the las.t traffic count upon that thoroughfare showing 56,000' vehicles-in twenty-tour hours. Park Avenue, New York City, 'ranks second, with a traffic count of 40',560'vehicles in twenty-four hours. Fifth Avenue, New York, ranks third, with ,a traffic of 39,000 vehicles.” . .