Washington Post February 20, 1935 |
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SUPERROADS ARE STUDIED IN WORK PLAN
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| Superroad of 1935 via |
The President, it was learned, has discussed with congressional advisers the possibility of using a substantial portion of the works fund, now awaiting Senate passage, to link the country's international boundaries with smooth, arrow-straight four-lane thoroughfares.
Tentative plans call for three of the master roads connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and two others stretching from Canada to Florida and Mexico. Nearly every State would be crossed by one of the roadways in this vast mosaic pattern.
While the rank and file of Senators and Representatives have been kept pretty much in the dark concerning details of the work program, a dozen or so of the New Deal's real leaders on Capitol Hill in recent conferences heard Mr. Roosevelt enthusiastically unfold his views on how many jobs could be created through construction of superhighways.
The President emphasized the self-liquidating phase of the road program. He explained the Government could buy broad tracts flanking the highways and obtain the benefit from the increased property valuation.
Observers recalled the storm of protest from Republicans against Federal Competition with private business drawn by the guarded testimony last month of Rear Admiral Christian J. Peoples, Treasury procurement chief, before a Senate committee.
Carefully avoiding mention of superhighways, he at first declared the Government would sell gasoline along roads it built. Later he denied the Government would enter the gasoline business and predicted, it, instead, would derive revenue from concessions along its routes.
The clause in the works bill to authorize purchase of land under the power of eminent domain was intended, it was said in informed quarters, to expedite construction of the superhighways. The President indicated he would expect cooperation from States in obtaining the rights-of-way. The roads would be built through back country where land could be acquired at low figures. There was talk of creation of a new Federal corporation to build the highways.
President Roosevelt displayed what friends described as "uncanny knowledge" of American geography in discussing the new traffic arteries. Outlining a suggested southern route, he glanced slyly across his desk at Vice President Garner and quipped;
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| Superroad of today via |
One of the President's advisers got the impression the right-of-way would be half a mile wide. When the plan was in an embryonic stage last fall, however, Secretary Ickes fixed the width at 1,000 feet and suggested the roads should be landscaped until they were the most beautiful in the world...
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Who was skeptical of superhighways? Who was supportive?
I love the line on Texas--which still may be "impenetrable!"
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ReplyDeletethe article was very interesting. i always thought that the highway was the brainchild of the eisenhower administration. it seems that congress was skeptical of the proposed super highway and i feel that this would be the case if implemented today. while highways have allowed us to travel great distances, they have caused other towns to become ghosttowns because they are not close to the super highway. the article is still relevant today, even though it was written in 1935.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I am concerned our nation needs superhighways and for a variety of reasons. Many must use the highways to get to work, others may need them in order to visit family, and some just need the to travel from point A to point B. As of today they have proven to be of benefit as they were during the time of Roosevelt's proposal. However, they are beginning to show signs of negative effect due to the increase of traffic and the road being overpopulated. These things have caused significant damage to the economy as well as the environment. I do not always agree with constructing things in order to make them as beautiful as they can be for the image of the area. I feel they should spend more money on efficiency, safety, and educating drivers, not on flowers and trees to put in the middle of the road.
ReplyDeleteI loved the paragraph that was questioning whether the Government would enter the gasoline business. Clearly, they were describing what would eventually become what we know now as rest stops. Can you imagine how different the US would be if the Government had entered the gasoline business? Maybe gasoline might not be $3.45 a gallon. Or maybe the government wouldn't be $14 trillion in debt
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