On St. John's-Holbrook Highway

Page Eight

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

And even with a normal amount of rainfall, would still be serious in the dry intervals with the constant flow of cars as now exists.

Referring to the "Climatological Data" of the United States Weather Bureau for the year of 1928, we find as follows, "The average annual precipitation was only 9.67 inches. With the exception of four years (1899, 1900, 1912, and 1924), this was the driest year on record, being 3.88 inches below the 32-year normal." From the same source and for the same year it is shown that at three points along the Phoenix-Yuma Highway the total annual precipitation was: Gila Bend, 2.88 inches; Mohawk, 1.35 inches, and Yuma 0.47 inches, or an average total precipitation for that year along this route of only 1.57 inches. While the final Climatological Records are not available as yet for 1929, it is believed that it will possibly show a dryer year than 1928.

Traffic Record

In 1924 the Arizona Highway Department started a traffic count upon the main highways of its system and has tinued this count up to date. The tabulation of this count by averages for the routes very clearly shows the tremendous increase in the traffic upon the highways.

A check of the traffic records from 1925 to 1928 inclusive, shows that Route 80 carried an average traffic for 1925 of 566 cars per 24 hours, 716 in 1926, an increase of 27%; 937 in 1927, an in crease of 31%; 1110, 1928, an increase of 18%, or an average increase for these years of 25%, and a total increase in the four years of 96%. Route 66 had 196 cars per 24 hours in 1925; 239 in 1926, an increase of 22%; 355 in 1927, an increase of 49%; 396 in 1928, an increase of 12%, or an average for this period of 28% per year, and a total increase of 135%. Route 180 had 486 cars per 24 hours in 1925; 781 in 1926, an increase of 28%; 871 in 1927, an increase of 12%; 988 in 1928, an increase of 12%, or an average increase per year of 14% and a total of 103% for these years. This group includes the main east and west state highways. The average for this group is 22%% per year or a total increase of 111%% for these years, or approximately doubling itself in four years. The average increase for these years upon all of the state roads is 20% per year with a total increase of 89%. The connecting roads, and in which are included the north and south routes, as they do not as yet have direct interstate terminii, do not show as rapid an increase as the routes that have interstate connections.

The traffic records for the year of 1929 are not complete as yet, but will show a very substantial increase.

From this record it is very easily understood why so much of the business of the State depends upon the condition of the highways. You will aso note from the tremendous increase that has taken place, if the same increase continues, the volume of business that will be developed in the future from the use of the highways. The continuing of this in crease depends almost entirely upon what Arizona's answer is going to be in regard to further progress in highway improvement.

Condition and Remedies

The question naturally arises, "What can be and should be done?" To meet the situation requires highways to be constructed with direct alignment, easy grades, of sufficient width, and a good smooth surface. Ultimately the surface must be paved. At the present time, the Arizona State Highway System has 2343 miles under maintenance, with approximately 2600 miles included in the system. To consider paving this entire mileage is, of course, entirely beyond the capabilities for this State to finance within a few years. The Arizona State Highway Department, along with other western states, has been developing what is known as an oil surface treatment. This is not considered a paving nor is the cost commensurate with a paving. It is the treating of the surfacing material with oil. The final effect, however, is just as pleasing to ride upon as a paving, and in some instances more so. This type of surfacing, however, is limited in the amount of traffic that it can carry, but its limits, of course, is very materially over that of a natural surface without oil. From observation and records of the Department it is very evident that the average so-called grav-el material will not economically take care of more than 300 vehicles a dayparticularly when the dust situation is taken into consideration. With the oil treatment, the dust is entirely eliminated, and the duty of the material is increased from the 300 up to not less than 1200 and possibly up to 2500 vehicles in 24 hours, depending upon the material upon the road. Paving, of course, is the ultimate surfacing that must be placed upon the main traveled highways, where the traffic is increasing and will soon reach a point beyond the possibility of oiling. In Arizona today, however, these sections carrying in excess, or

JANUARY, 1930

It will within a very few years carry an excess of traffic over the duty of oil, are very limited-however, the paving program should be faced and started so that the State will not in the future fall behind in the requirements of its highways, as is now so evident. Oiling or treating the surface with oil can be done from ten to twelve times as fast as paving work can be donelikewise the cost runs about in the same proportion.

Including eight road-mix oil surface treatment projects done this year, aggregating 50 miles, the average cost per mile, exclusive of the addition of any surfacing material for gravel, is $2,090.00; the average cost of additional surfacing of gravel was $538.60 per mile; and the average total cost per mile was $2,619.82.

This compares very favorably with other states, based upon the price and quantity of oil. New Mexico advises that the road mix, exclusive of surfacing material or gravel, is $2,055.00 per mile, and Wyoming with a much cheaper oil cost, $1,877.00 per mile. We have no authentic cost of such work from California, but are advised that based upon the price of oil that their cost is approximately the same as those quoted.

The application of an oil surfacing by pre-mixing in a plant and placing the mixture upon the road, cost about twice the cost of the average road mix job, as this cost must include the full quantity of gravel included in the mix, and the addition of this material placed as a surfacing would cost from $1,500.00 per mile upward depending upon its source. For five projects contracted upon this method, aggregating 83.4 miles, the average cost including subgrade preparation and treatment and all materials have cost an average of $5,128.36 per mile.

The State has completed to date 53 miles of road mix and have 13 miles now under construction, and have completed 15 miles of plant mix with 83 miles now under construction, or a total for oil work completed or now under construction of 164 miles. It is my recommendation that the State continue upon an oil program, carrying it through as rapidly as possible upon its main highways and, at the same time, start to pave upon the heavier traveled sections. Taking the traffic census as has been established over the past few years, and the materials now upon the surface as a basis upon which sections to start the paving and oilingwhen a new highway is constructed which involves embankment of any height, the embankment must necessarily take a settlement before a paving can be placed upon it that will not break up. When the inevitable settlement occurs in a new embankment, it naturally occurs uneven and causes breaking and settlement in a pavement should the paving be placed immediately upon the same. Such sections as this should be oil-treated first, allowing it to be used with this surfacing from one to three years before paving is placed upon it.

The economic construction program is very obvious from several angles: Ari-zona being a state in the development stage and what now appears to be very necessary link in the highway system and what now appears will become a heavy traveled section, may in a few years be only carrying an average amount of traffic. This may be made a fact by the development of other sections in the vicinity of this particular highway, which would naturally call for a parallel route and which in some cases may take the most of the traffic from the original highway. Also, likewise upon the long stretches of road between points in the state, which carry mainly through traffic, it will probably be several years before the volume of traffic reaches a point that will require paving any distance from the popular center.

Maintenance Cost and Expenditures: The maintenance cost of the oil surface does not exceed 50% of the gravel surface, when the gravel surface is carrying a traffic not too much in excess of the ability of the surface to carry without excessive maintenance work. When maintenance work upon gravel surfacing reaches such a point as to become continuous reconstructed work, it keeps the road in an agitated condition, which is very detrimental to traffic, disagreeable to drive upon, and agitates the dust situation very much. The maintenance cost for paving is not reduced proportionately to traffic. It will cost approximately the same to maintain a paving for 1000 cars, as it will to maintain the same paving for up to 5000 cars. That is not true, however, with other types of surface. Other types of surface it is almost directly in proportion to the volume of traffic carried upon the surface. At the present time, the State of Arizona is averaging $600.00 per mile for the maintenance each year upon the gravel surfaced sections. During this year the State is expending approximately $1,500,000 in maintenance and betterments. If this could be reduced one-half with the present volume of traffic carried this fiscal year, it would be a very material saving to the State. This could then be applied to further improvements of the highways. I do not wish to be misunderstood in that the cost of maintenance will not increase over one-half of the cost at the present time in the event that all of the highways were oiled, or paved the cost would increase in proportion to that of traffic, but with the initial cost for the oil approximately one-half of that of a gravel surface, the cost would still be very greatly reduced over the present amount of money being expended upon maintenance. Naturally there has to be an increase in maintenance expenditure from year to year, due to increase in traffic and also in mileage that must, by necessity of the developing condition of the State, be added to the State Highway system. This, however, should be kept to a minimum, in order to safe-guard the funds that are or may be provided for the State Highway funds, as every mile added to the State Highway System and improved without adequate additional funds provided for it, must necessarily deduct from the funds available for the original miles.

Community Benefits It is very often heard stated, particularly in Maricopa County, that the money derived within the county from the revenues provided for State highways should be expended only in the county from which it is derived. This immediately brings up the question as to how far a highway must extend before its benefits to a community are neutralized. If the policy was followed out in Arizona to expend the money within the county from which it derived solely, and not send it upon a general state highway system, it would be very forcibly brought to the attention of the various communities as to what extent and how far from the community the benefits actually accrue to the community. A person starting upon a trip does not consider for a moment going to a county line, then to the next county line, then to the state line and the next state line, but only considers going from one point to the other, with entire disregard for the county or even state line. The better a highway may be from its very point of conception, although it may be some 1000 miles or more away, the greater advantage a community must necessarily receive by virtue of the condition of that particular highway throughout. For instance, were all the highways in Maricopa County improved to a high-stage up to the county line and then only a very mediocre road leading beyond the county line, much of the traffic now coming in to Maricopa County would be diverted to other points or routes, and therefore the county would very materially suffer for the condition of the road beyond its own boundary. Much of the revenue derived in any county from the revenues provided for highways, such as the gasoline tax, is by virtue of the fact that people from the outlying districts beyond their limit are conveniently able to get in to it. Improving within a county as a unit would only result in building a barrier around a county. That is also true of a state that is why it became necessary for Federal Aid upon the highways, so that a national highway system may be completed. That has been one of the greatest factors that has developed from the application of Federal Aid upon the state highways.

then only a very mediocre road leading beyond the county line, much of the traf-fic now coming in to Maricopa Count would be diverted to other points or routes, and therefore the county would very materially suffer for the condition of the road beyond its own boundary. Much of the revenue derived in any county from the revenues provided for highways, such as the gasoline tax, is by virtue of the fact that people from the outlying districts beyond their limit are conveniently able to get in to it. Improving within a county as a unit would only result in building a barrier around a county. That is also true of a state that is why it became necessary for Federal Aid upon the highways, so that a national highway system may be completed. That has been one of the greatest factors that has developed from the application of Federal Aid upon the state highways.

Highways are like any other commodities in that you pay for what you get and get what you pay for. If Arizona expects to have and maintain an adequate highway system, which will result in the maximum benefit to all, it must expect to pay at least a fair proportion of the cost. Highways have ceased to be a luxury, but have now become a very vital necessity for the welfare of the state, for business within the state, and for each and every individual within the state. No matter what your business may be or your daily vocation, you are directly affected by the condition of the highways within your state. So it means a good deal to Arizona, as has been demonstrated in the last few years, and the possibilities are beyond computation. Arizona is fortunate in that it has large areas that are designed to be the greatest playground areas of any in the United States. It is also the gateway to the west coast of Mexico, which naturally must develop as time goes on and which will draw a very large business and pleasure-seeking traffic, and is upon the logical transcontinental routes. It is very definitely up to Arizona at this time to decide what they are going to do in regard to the tourist traffic as well as their own traffic needs. Information as to the condition of highways travels far and wide. When a tourist or a traveler gets to some division point that may or may not take him through Arizona and he asks the question: "How are the roads in Arizona?" and receives a negative answer, it is certain that he is not going to come through this state.(Continued on page 27)

The Message of Mt. Superstition By Ira L. Wood

In the shade of Superstition's cliffs Away from city toil and strife, Many a day I've wandered there Forgetting dull and dreary life. While dreaming of a life apart From working world of thoughtless heart.

Once when I was lingering there My dreams ran on a certain plan, As though the mountain wished to send A message to the world of man. For in my dreams I seemed to hear The mountain talking soft and clear.

"I WAS born in the mists when the world was young, I was cooled by an ancient sea; Time taught me the secrets of bygone things And the ways of the things to be."

"I KNEW by watching the ocean retreat As it built each shoreline anew, That the day would come when the rising hills With their brows would curtain my view."

"I WATCHED the monsters the sea forgot, I knew as they struggled to hold To life and to fit in their new found world The habits they knew of old."

"THAT soon they would die and their fossiled bones Be embedded in haddened slim, For all things will die when they cannot change Their ways to the changes of time."

"FROM a clime that teemed with its monstrous life To the furred of the glacial cold; From the life of the marsh to desert land You reckon as ages untold."

"YET the time seemed short as I watched each change And with each was an upward trend, Toward the conscience spark to guide in the dark The path that mankind might ascend."

"As I watched the ways of the bygone things So I watched the changes in man, From the time he arose to an uright pose To his banding in savage clans."

"From the time he mated like roving beasuts To his love for his kith and kin, Then I knew that man was a lasting thing And not a creational whim."

As I seemed to hear the mountain speak A vision rose before my eyes, Of other days and other times Of different suns and different skies. I saw the earth a fiery ball, A brighter sun shone over all.

KALEIDOSCOPE-like scene by scene The eons came, the eons passed, The earth in cooling lost its glow A crust had formed o'er fire at last. And where 'twas cool the falling rain Made steaming marshes on the plain.

As in a dream I saw a horde Of monsters on a fungused earth, They knew not but the law of maw Their fare was death from time of birth. A ruthless age as onward whirled Through murky skies a sodden world.

THEN north winds brought their sleet and snow As southward crept the freezing death, To slay the monstrous things that lived. Upon the world with Icy breath. For they'd wasted their alloted span, And Time had said "Make way for Man."

A WORLD of fern and jungle growth Of new formed lakes and new formed seas; A garden spot time built for man That mankind might progress with ease. And soon forget his beast-like ways, A heritage of his other days.

THEWED and haired like a jungle beast, A grotesque car'cature of man I saw within the jungle glades, And marveled at the wondrous plan That from Neanderthaloid clay Could mold the man we know today.

FROM knuckles down on mother earth I watched man gradually arise, I saw his first bewildered look As knowledge gave him different eyes, And opened up an easy road To lead him from his jungle 'bode.

THEN fires bright 'midst rocky cliffs And odors of a sacrifice, Then temples on the shaded hills Before I saw the cities rise, An eon passed and then the plan Wiped all away to savage man.

"YET I've seen the end of many a race That had reached your level in life, That had wandred away from the upward path To be lost in the maze of strife."

"FORGOTTEN are they like the nameless things That lie buried beneath my slopes, For the empty aims of their day and age They bartered their racial hopes."

"AND unless you strive for the better ways Of your race you will be the last, Just a crust of dust the difference between Your bones and the bones of the past."

"FORGOTTEN will be all your man made castes And your trappings of pomp and power Will lie 'neath the sands of the coming times That will cover your crumbling towers."

I SAW a path to future years Where only the highest towers Stood 'bove the dust that covered man, There the impish desert powers Had carved each rock with gargoyled head, Monuments for a foolish dead.

FOR they had bartered racial hopes For tinseled joys and empty aims, For glitt'ring pomp the years to come And thus on time had lost their claims. So time in wrath with drifting sand Had covered man in a desert land.

"THE millions of years that have aged my brow Are as naught to the years to come, And time will make place for a striving race To the end of the dying sun."

AND then I saw another dawn Of day in some far future year, Another race that might be ours Without the stamp of shame or fear. For they had trod the noble way Of service to that distant day.

"ERE you choose today the path you will take Think of all that your race has won, Weigh your empty aims 'gainst what you have gained And your place in the times to come."