THIRD SESSION

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1926, AT 10:00 A. M.

T H MACDONAUJ, Presiding
V S BUI eau of Puilic Roads, Washvn^ton, D C

C H A I R M A N M A C D O N A L D The first paper on this morning's pro-

gram IS the report of the Committee on Highway Traffic Analysis

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY

T R A F F I C ANALYSIS
Cbalrman, G E HA^UN
Connecticut State Highway Convnnsston, Hartford, Conn

The Committee on Highway Traffic Analysis submits the follow-

ing report.
PLANNING F O R A R T E R I A L H I G H W A X S O U T S I D E O F C O N G E S T E D
AREAS, INCLUDING B E L T L I N E S FOR DETOURING LARGE
CENTERS

State highway departments are frequently confronted with prob-

lems incident to arterial highways serving large cities or centers of
population A traffic census will indicate that the number of ve-
hicles increases as the distance from the city decreases. This is due
to distribution of local traffic near the congested area. A uniform
width highway, therefore, is neither necessary nor desirable unless
the distance between points of congestion is comparatively small.
A practical solution of this problem is illustrated by the work of
the Pennsylvania Department of Highways on Koute No 142, the
Lincoln Highway in Chester County, Pennsylvania Near Phila-
delphia this route has been widened to forty feet, further out it is
thirty feet wide and in normal rural regions it is eighteen feet wide,
thus providing for four, three, and two lanes of travel
This provision for widening the principal arterial highways is not
alone sufficient as too great a concentration of traffic will be caused
within the cntical traffic areas Further relief must be afforded by
belt lines, consisting of outer belt routes by-passing traffic congestion
areas, and inner belt routes usually through the residential districts
of the congested areas There are many minor difficulties involved
in the main problem such as unseparated grade crossings, narrow
265
266 HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD

Streets within city limits, sharp turns, steep grades, bndges, and
schools and churches along the route. The problems caused by these
conditions, however, while often perplexing and obj'ectionable, can
usually be solved and should not be allowed to obscure or dominate
the solution of the major situation

USE O F HIGHWAYS F O B INTERSTATE T R A V E L

The future development of highway traffic may magnify mter-

state travel Even now the factor of interstate travel is an impor-
tant one requiring careful study The main consideration, however,
must be of authentic traffic data rather than impressionistic concep-
tions of transcontinental routes, and conclusions must be based on
fact
There is to be considered that some sections of the country, as the
Atlantic seaboard, will show a greater percentage of interstate travel
than others
In 1923 the traffic count made by the Pennsylvania Department
of Highways showed that cars licensed in foreign States contributed
25 per cent of the total traffic observed in border counties within a
distance of twenty-five miles from the State line, and 4 per cent in
the central counties.
A special analysis in the 1924 traffic census made by the U S Bu-
reau of Public Roads and the Pennsylvania Department of High-
ways showed that 5 6 per cent of the passenger cars and 4 4 per cent
of the trucks observed on the primary system of four thousand miles
were of foreign State license.
Analysis of foreign car traffic would show that a large part of the
interstate travel is in the border counties and is, strictly speaking,
local traffic, the foreign cars coming from points near by in the ad-
jacent State.
As a measure of long distance interstate travel, the important fig-
ures are the percentages determined for interior counties

C A R R Y I N G C A P A C I T Y O F H I G H W A Y S AS A F F E C T E D B Y W I D T H O F
S U R F A C E AND R E S T R I C T I O N S O F U S B

An unrestricted speed limit may be considered in the near future

an argument to decrease traffic congestion, reduce automobile acci-
dents, and promote a better respect for law enforcement
In this connection, it will be well to take into consideration the
traffic and various uses of the highway, the effect of street intersec-
tions on trafficflow,and the physical and weather conditions Motor
vehicles must not be operated, regardless of speed, m a manner which
endangers the life or property of others I t is possible that in the
 PROCEEDINGS OF SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING 267

event of accident, any speed exceeding 35 miles per hour might be

held prima facie evidence of reckless driving, requiring proof to be
otherwise ruled.
In the open country, 20-foot highways seem to be of ample width,
but in approaching congested centers the highway should, consider-
ing its present and expected future traffic, be able to carry three or
more lanes of traffic
Limitation of vehicle size, weight and speed have been found neces-
sary first, for safety and convenience, and, second, to prevent un-
economic injury to and unjustifiable use of the highway
The laws of the various States with respect to such limitations
should be made as uniform as is consistent with the present condi-
tion of the construction program, especially in view of the increas-
ing amount of interstate traffic
The State highway department responsible for the construction,
maintenance, signing, and safety of the State highway system should
be responsible for the control over State highway traffic and enforce-
ment of State highway traffic regulations
There are various sections of certain highways which will carry
larger and heavier vehicles than others We are confronted with
two problems Shall highway regulations be based on the load-
carrying capacity of the weaker highways, or shall the highways be
made adequate to carry the largest and heaviest loads desired to be
placed on them by users of motor vehicles'
The Committee recommends that highways be classified in terms
of weight-carrying capacities, recognizing the necessary variation in
weight limitations for main traffic and secondary traffic routes, and
lhat consideration be given to the increased traffic value which may
accrue in the adoption of a minimum speed law as particularly ap-
plied to Class A highways.

T H E R E L A T I O N B E T W E E N V O L U M E O F T R A F F I C AND POPULATION
AND T H E R E L A T I O N B E T W E E N V O L U M E O F T R A F F I C
AND I N D U S T R I E S S E R V E D

From the fact that highway traffic is largely local, it follows that
the volume of traffic will vary in some degree with the density of
population adjacent to the road
This is a general condition and traffic relations developed in
Pennsylvania will probably be approximated in other States.
The average motor-vehicle tnp is about thirty miles, and the
counties are practicable traffic study units.
 268 HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD

With traffic census stations at regular intervals and approximately

thirty miles apart, the total traffic count fairly represents the total
travel The ratio of the total travel, m a county, to the number of
cars registered m that county, furnishes the traffic factor This can
be used for estimating traffic, where census figures are not available,
in the following manner:

Outline tributary traffic area, including section of road under con-

sideration, with cross road or town terminals, about thirty miles
apart The width of the area will depend on the proximity of
parallel roads It averages in general about ten miles in Pennsyl-
vania Total the population of townships, boroughs, and cities,
within the area. Estimate the number of motor cars m the section of
the county from the number registered in the county, by assuming
the same proportion as the population of the section of the country
under consideration bears to the total population of the county The
county traffic factor, multiplied by the estimated number of motor
cars in the area, will approximate the traffic on the road Since the
county factor is an average determination, the traffic estimate should
be increased for trunk roads to allow for greater percentage on these
roads of more than thirty-mile tnp travel
When the counties are classified and grouped as agricultural, min-
ing, or manufacturing, according to their predominating industry,
it IS found that the mining counties produce the least amount of
traffic in proportion to the number of cars registered in the area,
and that the manufactunng counties produce the most traffic The
average of the county factors m Pennsylvania are 0 293 for agri-
culture, 0 281 for mining and 0 369 for manufacturing
For forecasting, the important factor is found in placing the time
and figure for the so-called saturation point m motor-vehicle regis-
tration In Pennsylvania, it is assumed that this saturation point
will be reached within the life of the durable type pavements that
are now being bmlt, and that the motor-vehicle registration curves,
after that time will hold their relative position with the population
curve.
It is believed that the influence of industrial development will
continue to affect the ratio of traffic to registration and that the ratio
of population to registration, at the so-called saturation point, will
reflect the density of population Accordingly, conservative esti-
mates of 1940 ratios of population to registration range from 2 31
for agncultural counties to 5 33 for the counties containing urban
population The two influences, industries and density of popula-
tion can be combined into one factor, but will yield more reliable
results if considered separately
 PROCEEDINGS OF SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING 269

T H E L A R G E V E H I C L E AND T H E H E A V Y W H E E L LOAD, I N C L U D I N G
T H E S E M I - T R A I L E R AND T H E S I X - W H E E L B U S

First it IS desirable to direct attention to the basic traffic princi-

ples, particularly those affecting truck movement. Truck move-
ment IS largely short haul Transport surveys conducted in Con-
necticut, Pennsylvania, and Ohio show the average tnp for all trucks
to be approximately 25 miles Long hauls by trucks are very rare
and represent a very small part of total truck movement The aver-
age length of trip by passenger cars is approximately double that of
trucks The surveys, above referred to, show that truck traffic is
almost negligible on sections of many routes, and particularly is
this true of the large vehicle and the heavy wheel load. Since truck
traffic IS still more restricted in its area of movement than passenger
cars which form the great bulk of total traffic, the question anses
whether or not it might not be practical to permit larger loads in
those areas and on those routes where conditions are favorable for
the use of the larger trucks Here enters the problem of the econom-
ical justification of strengthening the pavement design to care for
the heavy wheel load If the records show in any particular case
that heavy wheel loads form a very small per cent of the traffic
using the route in question, it is obvious that the extra expense en-
tailed m bmlding the pavement adequate for the larger trucks can
not be justified It is, therefore, plain that there should be some
restriction on the weight of vehicles
One question which anses m this connection is whether or not
large vehicles carrying heavy loads impede traffic and decrease the
capacity of the highway to a greater extent than combinations of
lighter vehicles and trailers or multiple wheel vehicles, such as six-
wheel buses and trucks. Again there is the problem of whether
large four-wheel vehicles cause greater damage to our highways than
larger numbers of small vehicles or vehicle combinations having
three or more axles
In Ohio where the gross load limitation on motor vehicles is com-
paratively low (20,000 pounds), the use of six-wheel trucks and
trailers is small Six-wheel trucks observed during the 1925 high-
way transport survey in Ohio were only one-tenth of one per cent
of total trucks observed Only four-tenths of one per cent of all
trucks had semi-trailers attached One per cent of all trucks had
four-wheel trailers attached Three-tenths of one per cent were
tractor and trailer combinations In other words, the combined total
of six-wheel trucks and trucks or tractors with trailers attached was
only 1 8 per cent of all trucks
•370 HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD

The evidence obtained in Ohio indicates that even when the gross
load limitation is comparatively low the number of trailers and six-
wheel trucks in operation is relatively small. This seems to indicate
that tonnage which might be carried on larger trucks is now carried
on a greater number of small trucks.
In the Cook County transport survey it was found that approxi-
mately two and one-half per cent of all trucks (observed on Cook
County highways had trailers attached. The percentage of trucks
with trailers attached varied from zero at some places on the highway
system to 10 and 14 per cent at others. The gross load limitation
in Cook County at that time was 24,000 pounds.
Apparently the use of trailers depends very largely upon special
movements and local conditions.
It has been brought out, principally in previous studies by the
U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, that the tensile stress set up in a con-
crete pavement is twice as great with a four-wheel truck as with a
six-wheel truck of the same gross load.
In both six and four-wheel trucks the maximum tensile stress
occurs in the bottom of the slab, this being the critical stress for
both types of trucks.
A load passing over a pavement 21 inches from the edge produced
an average stress less than 50 per cent as great as the same load 9
inches from the edge. The pavement in this case was of uniform
thickness.
Present maximum permitted loads vary widely in different States,
as for example:
Ohio 20,000 lbs.
Pennsylvania 26,000 "
Illinois 25,000 "
City of Chicago 30,000 "
Indiana 28,000 "

Elsewhere in this report is recommended a highway classification

in terms of weight-carrying capacities to partially solve this par-
ticular problem of highway transport.

C L A S S I F I C A T I O N O F H I G H W A Y S I N R E F E R E N C E TO R I G H T O F W A Y
AS F U N C T I O N S O F T R A F F I C V O L U M E AND K I N D

• Considerable discussion has arisen relative to the proper width

of highway right-of-way to properly care for present and future
traffic demands. While differences of opinion are found, there is a
general agreement that the present narrow widths are in a majority
of cases inadequate and undesirable. Modern motor traffic moving
at high speed with many large vehicles calls for a different highway
 PROCEEDINGS OF SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING 271

treatment and development than in the days of horse-drawn vehicles

Formerly slow-moving vehicles with short wheel bases could be
stopped and turned safely in a short radius circle Clear sight dis-
tances could be short. Now, greater widths, flat curves, moderate
grades and long clear sight lines are essential for the safety and con-
venience of traffic

One of the most striking points brought out by transport surveys

covenng rural highways, is that traffic volume varies considerably
on any given route Traffic volume is largely a function of popula-
tion density Traffic is largely a local movement, therefore, as the
distance from the large centers of population increases on any given
route the traffic decreases accordingly. It is, therefore, obvious from
the classification of highways in reference to traffic volume that there
will be-different traffic divisions on the same route
The problem, therefore, resolves itself into a plan for the future
for the estimated hfe of the pavement type and the further demand
of traffic service Therefore, the estimated future traffic is the im-
portant consideration
Even with a reasonably accurate knowledge of future traffic
volume the roadway cross section design will affect the needed width
of right of way to a very considerable extent For example, many
city streets are constructed with curb and gutter design, open ditches
being eliminated entirely, with an elaborate system of underground
drainage, which carry large volumes of traffic on fairly narrow nghts
of way and, in many cases, a larger volume of traffic than is demanded
of any rural highway Insofar as the design of the road for the rural
highway approach^ the type used in city pavements, ehminating
the necessity for open ditches by the use of underground drainage,
so much the less width of right of way will be needed when com-
pared with the conventional design of rural highways providing for
shoulders and open ditches, occupying a width of right of way,
double or more, than that actually used by the traffic
Special conditions exist which require a greater width of highway
than demanded under ordinary conditions, such as the width neces-
sary for high fills or deep cuts, at curves, and at intersections or other
obstructions where traffic is retarded and the wider pavement neces-
sary to handle large volumes of traffic Having determined the de-
sign which will be used for a roadway cross section, the width of
pavement deemed necessary to carry the traffic volume must be de-
termined Many investigations have been made along this line and
fairly accurate informatiion is available.
In the July, 1921, issue of Public Roads, there appeared an article
by A N Johnson on the subject of "The Traffic Census and Its Use
 272 HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD

in Deciding Road Width " In this article Dean Johnson shows that
traffic discharge depends on speed and spacing of vehicles, and as-
serted that 1,000 vehicles per hour is not too large for a two-lane road
There have arisen two schools of thought as to required nght of
way particularly in reference to extremely heavy traffic routes On
one side it is argued that this problem should be solved by the so-
called superhighway, providing two lines of pavement each having
several traffic lanes On the other side it is argued that it is better
to provide parallel routes rather than extreme widths on a few main
routes In this latter case it is pointed out that abutting real estate
values are increased enormously by road improvement, especially
along heavy traffic routes, and that these benefits in the improve-
ment of parallel routes are in excess of those adjacent to one main
artery. Traffic is endeavoring to reach some particular objective—
in general, a large center of population—^rather than to occupy any
particular route This may signify that near large centers of popu-
lation there is need of a greater number of converging routes to
handle the traffic. These routes as they go farther and farther away
from the center of population become more widely separated, and the
traffic on them decreases correspondingly. The width of right of
way and the design of the pavement will naturally change to corre-
spond with this change in traffic.

If the facts in any case indicate the need for wider widths in the
near future, provision should be made for acquiring these widths be-
fore the property increases so largely in value as to add unduly to
the cost of future improvement
The effect of the kind of traffic on width of nght of way is more
or less a local problem The chief factor in this respect enters when
truck traffic is large This condition exists in general only near large
centers of population Where the amount of truck traffic justifies,
it may be advisable to provide an extra lane or a separate trucking
route for this slow-moving traffic.
In practice the width of right of way which is being acqmred in
various States has depended largely upon land values If land is
cheap, comparatively large widths can be obtained, and are obtained,
even on routes which are comparatively unimportant However, if
land values are high, the cost of the right of way is an important
sizeable proportion of the total cost of the improvement It is, there-
fore, economical in these cases to keep the width of right of way to
a mmimum which will still give roadway sufficient to handle the
traffic Here again is cited an example of what is done in States
where land values are high, that is, the road design is materially
 PROCEEDINGS OF SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING 373

changed so as to cut down much of the width now used on rural

highways.
The Committee elsewhere recommends the classification of high
ways for pnmary, secondary, and local service The size and num-
ber of vehicles will vary in the order named with the greater number
of large and swiftly moving vehicles on primary routes The widths
of right of way should vary accordingly. The Pennsylvania De-
partment of Highways had fixed, tentatively, upon the following
widths. Pnmary routes 120 feet; secondary routes 100 feet; and local
service 80 feet.
These widths provide for ultimate pavement widths, respectively,
of 80 feet, 60 feet, and 40 feet. The remainder of the right of way
IS required for slopes, service poles, parking, and clear sight distance
Issue might be taken with these widths, but it is believed that the
general plan is fundamentally sound.

SELECTION OF TYPE BY TBAFFIC

The unit weight of truck traffic on certain highways may be such

as to definitely require a high type surface These cases, however,
are exceptional and selection is generally influenced by economy
rather than carrying capacity.
It is frequentiy stated that the type of improvement should be
selected so as to give the lowest annual average cost per mile when
the fixed charges (interest on investment and depreciation), and
maintenance costs are added to operating costs (average costs of
motor-vehicle operation per car mile on the particular type of sur-
face multiplied by the annual traffic, total number of vehicles).
A difficulty appears here Traffic conditions are so changmg from
year to year and our acquaintance with present day high-type pave-
ments is so short that it is difficult to forecast economic life and an-
nual maintenance costs
Passing this difficulty there are four objections to using a hard
and fast rule for any theory of selection of type by traffic-
1 From the standpoint of first cost, funds are not always available
in amount sufficient to make all improvements that actually appear
economic. Until our State highway systems are 100 per cent im-
proved, there will have to be considered in some locahties the ex-
pediency of stage construction and laying more miles of "semi-
durable" type than would be possible with a higher type
2. From the standpoint of annual cost there are many cases where
the carrying charges and maintenance costs (not considering oper-
ation costs) for the "semi-durable" type would be less than for the
higher type.
271 HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD

3 From the standpoint of traffic service, the trav^hng public,

which actually assumes the cost, in many cases shows a preference
forHhe "semindurable" types
4 From the standpoint of practicability, availabihty of materials
and construction features would provide many exceptions
The traffic volume, along with economic factors, has a determining
influence in the selection of the general class of pavement, and the
economic factors determine largely the choice of type within the
groups Where the traffic is composed of a considerable number of
heavy trucks the type selection must be confined to those pavements
which can economically carry the loads applied
It IS suggested that each selection of type be principally influenced
by economy in annual charges (average annual maintenance plus
equal annual charges for depreciation and interest) and that value
or economical first costs be the basis of final determination
The danger in a low traffic community lies largely in over-im-
provement by selecting the high-class pavements to the sacrifice of
needed serviceable highways
The relative value of two or more types can be deteimmed, assum-
ing that information as to economic life and maintenance costs is
sufficient, by use of a table of annuities
In many cases where the economy of a particular type and prac-
ticability of financing is evident, the economical type should be
selected In cases where there is reasonable doubt as to the economy
of one type as compared with another, especially if funds are limited,
and there is a greater demand for improvements than can be im-
mediately satisfied, it may be desirable to give preference to the lower
first cost type, provided it furnishes satisfactory traffic service
It IS true that construction costs have mcreased greatly m twenty
years, and that withm the next twenty years there will probably be
further increase, so that from this standpoint long life improvements
are advantageous, but on the other hand, we have been continually
improving our design for high-type pavement and the lower first
cost improvements may be safer investments

PLANNING T H E I M P R O V E M E N T O F S T A T E H I G H W A Y SYSTEMS

There is no fundamental diflFerence m principle between the pub-

lic business of developing systems of highways, and private enter-
pnses engaged in producing commodities or in the performance of
services For example, light and power, gas and telephone utilities
and otEer industries are all engaged in the production of their com-
modities for public use The history of their modem development
and expansion is largely a development based upon a careful analysis
 PROCEEDINGS OF SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING 275

of the demand for their product by present and potential consumers

m a given area The soundness of their analysis of this need for
new service and the expansion of their plant anticipating this de-
mand for their product has been an influential factor in the progress
or lack of progress of many communities.
The same basic economic and engineering principles of manage-
ment as control in the field of private business, should govern the
public business of production in the highway field
Applied to the public business of a State responsible for develop-
ing a connected system of highway improvements to facilitate, the
transportation of people and commodities, the first principle of pro-
duction management is that the various sections of a highway system
selected for improvement and the types of impn-ovement selected
for construction on each section of a highway system should be based
upon present and expected future traffic demands, modified by the
various physical and economic charactenstics which affect the choice
of specific construction types to be built on the various parts of a
State system
The second basic principle is the famiimr one of the budget upon
which all financially sound industries operate Applied to the high-
way business it involves- First, the determination of the amount
of money required to complete the improvement, second, the ap-
portionment of the cost among those who benefit from the improve-
ment of highways, and provision of the legislation necessary to raise
the required highway funds, third, the expenditure of the money
in accordance with a predetermined plan of highway improvement
in which each highway route or section of a route is to be improved
to the degree required by the traffic and to no greater or less degree
The first and third are functions of the State highway department,
the second is the responsibihty of the State legislature, and is always
the final limiting factor. Provision by a legislature of more than
the necessary revenues is apt to encourage waste, provision of suf-
ficient funds, well managed by the highway department, results in a
well-balanced system of highway improvements and the economic
development of a State as a whole, provision of insufficient improve-
ment funds by a legislature defers the true improvement of a high-
way system, forces the highway department to spread uneconomi-
cally its expenditures of State funds over the entire State system and
usually results in the development of a highway system below the
requirements of traflBc and if continued over a period of years in-
creases the total ultimate cost of highway transportation.
The tremendous recent growth of highway traffic has revolution-
ized highway transportation. The past 15 years have seen the re-
21Q SIGH WAY RESEARCH BOARD

emergence of highway transportation, one of the oldest methods for

the movement of people and goods Mass movement of people and
commodities on the principal routes of the various State highway
systems is a fact and not a theory
The establishment of scientific plans for highway development,
which will result in the maximum of highway improvement and
highway transportation service, with available revenue, labor, equip-
ment, and building materials, requires a careful analysis of highway
traffic, the trend of its development and its distnbution over highway
systems. The necessity of such an analysis is now recognized by
highway executives, but their efforts have been handicapped by lack
of precise knowledge of the present and expected future character
of traffic using the various sections of a State system
A plan of State highway improvement materially alters the eco-
nomic and social development of a people as a whole or any section
thereof. The location and improvement or lack of improvement of
a given route is of vital importance, not only to the immediate local
traffic needs, but also to the traflBc demands of larger areas
Therefore, the development of a system of highways should not
be judged as "miles and types of highways constructed each year,"
but considered in terms of the movement of people and goods The
planning and construction of a connected system of highways deal,
in fact, with the destiny of localities and States, their agnculture,
their industries, the growth of suburban areas adjacent to centers of
population and the social activities of people This is a tremendous
social problem and not merely a problem of physics concerning the
mixtures of cement, water, brick, steel, bitumens, stone aggregate,
gravel, eqmpment and labor into what we now term the modern
road.
The major problem is not one of the particular types of materials
to use, but rather whether to build or not, and how much highway
service is necessary in a given area Upon the proper solution of
these problems depend the well-being and progress of a people. Con-
sidering the improvement of highways from this point of view, there
can be no question concerning the necessity of developing sound
plans for highway improvement over a period of years in the several
States and to provide the necessary money to carry out economically
the plan of improvement
The principal classes of highway improvements are (1) new
construction, (2) reconstruction, (3) stage construction, (4) build-
ing of bndges and culverts, (5) highway and railroad grade sepa-
rations, (6) widening of present highways, (7) methods of guiding
 PROCEEDINGS OF SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING 277

and safeguarding traffic, and (8) establishment of old or the acquisi-

tion of new highway right of way.
Each of these classes of improvements, while more or less distinct
as a class, is part of a general scheme of betterment The develop-
ment of the plan as a whole, including each of the several classes,
should be based largely upon present and expected future traffic and
the present "lay-out" and condition of the existing highway system
m any given area.

T H E P R I N C I P A L F U N C T I O N O F A H I G H W A Y T R A N S P O R T A T I O N SUR-
V E Y I N PLANNING A PROGRAM O F H I G H W A Y I M P R O V E M E N T

1 To measure present and predict the future volume and chai-

acter of traffic on State primary, secondary, and tertiary sys-
tems The principal traffic factors involved m judging the
relative traffic importance of the three systems, or sections
of each system, are Average daily and maximum total traffic
and average daily and maximum truck traffic using each sec-
tion The average daily number of loaded light (V^ to 2V2
ton trucks, medium (3 to 4 ton trucks), and heavy (5 to 7V^
ton trucks) vehicles is an important factor in the determina-
tion of the plan of improvement as well as in the selection
of the types to be constructed
2 To determine the relationship between population and demands
for highway service and considering present density of popu-
lation and population trends to aid in developing the plan
of highway improvement which will most efficiently serve
the present and future traffic needs of this population
3 To classify highway routes or sections of routes as major traffic
routes (Class A ) , secondary traffic routes (Class B ) , and
minor traffic routes (Class C) A Class A highway is defined
as one that requires the so-called rigid type of improvement,
concrete, brick, bituminous concrete, or their eqmvalent A
Class B highway is defined as one that requires a so-called
flexible type of improvement, standard bituminous penetra-
tion macadam or its equivalent A Class C highway is de-
fined as one that requires other lesser types of improvement

The principal traffic factors involved in the classification of high-

way routes or sections of routes are
a Average daily and maximum total traffic and truck traffic
b» Forecast of average daily total traffic and truck traffic for
periods of five and ten years
c Average daily and expected future number of loaded light,
^78 HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD

medium and heavy capacity trucks for each route or section

of a route
d. The ratio of total loaded trucks to total traffic in order to separate
for special consideration routes or sections of routes on which
motor trucks are an abnormally large or small proportion of
total traffic
e. The number and frequency of critical heavy loads
f Average maximum traffic as one measure of the width of the
improvement, the necessity for improvement, of additional
parallel routes and the "by-pass" of congested centers of local
traffic.
g Analysis of highway maintenance and capital costs and vehicle
operating costs as an important factor in determining the
traffic limits for the various types of improvement
4 To measure motor-vehicle miles on the primary, secondary, and
tertiary highway systems, and estimate earning ca'pacity of
these three highway systems to determine the relative vehicle
use value of each as a gmde m developing the plan of im-
provement and the budgeting of construction and mainte-
nance funds
5 Analysis of the present system and the physical condition of
the existing improvements on the State system, since the plan
of betterment must in general mcorporate the existing State
highway system as the basis of the improvement plan
A State plan of highway improvement can be separated into two
distinct planning phases
1. The general State plan, consisting of a connected system of
primary, secondary, and tertiary routes serving each section
of the State It should be recognized that there is a consider-
able variation in the present and expected future volume of
traffic on the highway systems of the several States and that
within each State there is also considerable variation in its
present and expected future traffic on the various sections of
the State primary and secondary system
2 The State system and the highway plan m areas adjacent to
centers of population The improvement plan of the State
and the plan of improvement of the larger cities within a
State should be worked out cooperatively
This cooperative plannmg is essential to the proper location and
entry of State routes into congested traffic areas, to avoid dumping
traffic from one or more than one State route into an already con-
gested area, to provide for adequate connections and improvement
 PROCEEDINGS OF SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING ^ 279

of the City streets that join State routes at city limits, to make pro-
vision for "by-passing" congested traffic areas, to eliminate obstruc-
tions to the easier movement of traffic, and finally to provide a plan
of belt, arterial and secondary local traffic routes to facilitate the
rapid, safe, and unobstructed flow of traffic m congested traffic areas
In the final analysis the worth of a transportation survey and the
resul'tmg plan of highway improvement is measured by the actual
highway construction, reconstruction, and widening program which
is carried into effect over a penod of years.
The State highway engineer, as the executive director of the public
business of providing highways, is responsible first, for the analysis
of the traffic demand for his product on the vanous sections of the
State system, second, for a financial analysis of the yearly cost, the
revenues required, the funds available, and the establishment of a
budget for the period of the improvement program; third, for the
busmess and engineering management of the improvement program
The major limiting factor is the financial program provided by
the legislative organization responsible for raising the revenue to
enact into reality any plan of highway improvement, and therefore
a large part of the responsibility for the character and extent of a
State system of highway improvements rests not upon the State de-
partment charged with the duty of constructing highways, but upon
the department of State government responsible for the raising of
highway funds