Eighty-Two Miles of Paving in Maricopa County Saves Car Owners $1,594,265.40 a Year

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

CIVILIZATION FOLLOWS THE IMPROVED HIGHWAY TWO and six-tenths cents per mile is what H. G. Borden, former dean of the College of Engineering. To Northern University, quotes in his cle in the Western Construction ws, Feb. 10, 1927, as the difference cost between operating a car over aved road and a dirt or gravel road.

In other words, whenever you reach end of a paved road and start over ravel or dirt road in your car, your iness trip, pleasure trip or what ever of a trip it may be is costing you ubber, repair parts, car depreciation, and oil, just two and six tenths cents ile more than it did while you were ing on the paved road.

Now if you car owners will get pencil paper and figure with me for a few utes you'll find out what two and six ths really means to you.

Let's take the 81.9 miles of paving in copa county that is on the state way system and find out how much ar operation you saved last year by being paved. Last year's traffic cenfor this road shows that 816,000 cars eveled over its entire length. Multithat figure by 81.9 and you get 66,820,400 car miles. Right here is where little two and six tenths cents you ed will loom up big. Just multiply 66,820,400 by $.026 and you'll find that you saved $1,737,590.40.

Now you are probably wondering what this paving cost. Let's use a good round figure $35,000 a mile it didn't cost much for that is gonerally the figure used when speaking of paving cost. figure will give us $2,866,500 as the

By IRA L. WOOD

cost of 81.9 miles and interest at five per cent is $143,325 a year. If we deduct this interest from the amount saved, it would leave $1,594,265.40 net saving.

Now, just divide that into the cost of paving that 81.9 miles and you'll find that in one year, nine months, and nineteen days you have saved enough money in tires, repair parts, car depreciation, gas and oil to pay for it at the rate you used this road last year.

OTHER ITEMS CONSIDERED

There are also several items that are not included in this two and six tenths cents. These you'll have to put your own valuation on. They are discomfort of driving over a dusty, rough road and you might add in a few laundry and cleaning bills when you figure this item and delays due to broken springs or mud holes. In fact, if you have driven much, you can think of a lot of items like this.

Maybe you are a little bit skeptical and wonder how all this saving applies to the taxes that paid for paving it.

There are approximately 359 miles of county and state highway paving in Maricopa county and you that made that 359 miles of paving possible have a right to pat yourselves on the back for your foresight. You showed 359 miles of good judgment.

Now let's put a road that's not paved on paper. Between Hassayampa and Yuma is an unpaved road-155 miles long. It is a good gravel road and you can make good time over, but the point Now in traffic has been reached where you can hardly consider it a matter of economy not to pave this road. Last year the traffic over this road was 132,000 cars making 20,460,000 car miles representing a loss to car owners of $531,960.00. Using $35,000 a mile as a paving cost, this 155 miles would cost $5,425,000 and the interest each year would be $271,250. If you deduct this interest from $531,960 you will find that you have ground up and left along the road $260,710 that might have been used, we'll say, as a sinking fund to pay the taxes that would pave this road. But instead you have applied this amount to worn out casings and cars.

BASED ON LAST YEAR'S TRAFFIC

These figures are based on last year's traffic and will not do for this year as there is a steady increase of traffic. Last year the traffic increased 21 per cent over the previous and it is safe to assume that each year's increase will not fall below this point. Figuring 21 per cent increase in traffic each year you'll find that at the end of seven years (even taking out the interest on the paving cost) that you will lose $6,749,649.89, a million dollars over the cost to pave this road.

There is another road that you will grind up enough rubber and cars to pay for paving in the next seven years and that is the unpaved stretch between Superior Junction and Apache Junction.It is up to you car owners whether you wish to put your money in ground up rubber and cars at the rate of two and six tenths cents a mile or to put it in paving on roads that have reached a point of traffic where paving is a matter of economy.