Editorials

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

Published in the Interest of Good Roads by the ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION

GENERAL OFFICE

FIELD ENGINEERS

Here are facts presented by highway authorities to show that road needs are far from being supplied: Automobile accidents are on the increase, with 1,250,000 accidents in 1934 claiming 35,500 lives and nearly 900,000 injured. Elimination of grade crossings, widening of roads and streets, resurfacing, new paving, all would tend to lessen this terrible toll. The mileage of high type pavement is only about 5 per cent of the total roads in the United States.

This 160,000 miles is not even equivalent to the mileage of the busiest roads included in the main state highway systems, which total 382,600 miles and carry at least two-thirds of all country travel.

This paved mileage of 160,000 is 100,000 miles short of the total mileage of cross-country railroads. Under the forthcoming budget, Arizona finds itself in the vanguard of states that are determined to eliminate grade crossings and bring up to a high type the present primary system of highways.

OUR COVER PICTURE

Photographer Norman G. Wallace has developed a masterpiece of the art of photography in his study of Montezuma Castle, one of Arizona's many National Monuments. Montezuma Castle is located in Yavapai county. This prehistoric wonder, the best preserved example of the cliff dweller's abode, may be reached via Prescott, Jerome and Cottonwood.

HIGHWAY HEADACHES

MORE AUTOMOBILES MEAN BETTER ROADS Back in the early depression year of 1930, when it still wasn't definite whether there was to be a depression, automobile ownership in this country reached a high of 26,500,000 vehicles. After large decreases, in this year of 1935 there is strong evidence that again automobile ownership will pass the 26,000,000 total.

Automobile production and sales are outstripping the totals of last year and business is approaching the all-time peak. Most automobile makers are weeks behind the demand. These are pointed to as reasons for the increase; the trend to suburban communities, increased use of the car as a means of transportation to work, vacation travel increase as noted in national park reports, the natural increase in people of car driving age, the automobile is becoming more and more a necessity, and possibly a waning depression is a factor.

All is not so bright for usage of the expected 26,000,000 cars, however. Construction of paved roads and streets and of the facilities that further add to safety and car driving economy, are far a trail in the automobiles' dust.

A number of factors, among them diversion or misuse of motor tax funds, heedless reduction of motor tax rates and spreading of highway dollars over too many miles of roads, are responsible for a falling off in building of the type of facilities warranted by motor vehicle usage.