Page:Toll Roads and Free Roads.pdf/17

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FEASIBILITY OF TRANSCONTINENTAL TOLL ROADS
3

₩land, Maine, 134 miles; from Miami to Jacksonville, Fla., 326 miles; and from Baltimore, Md., to a point near Philadelphia, Pa., 76 miles. On these sections the anticipated revenues in 1960 would produce from 91.8 to 83.2 percent of the estimated cost for that year. On no other sections of the six projected toll roads do the estimates made result in a ratio of collections to costs as large as 80 percent. On 19 other sections of the six toll roads as projected the estimates made result in ratios of maximum collections to costs varying from 50 percent to less than 80 percent. These 19 sections, described by their approximate termini and total lengths and the corresponding ratios of maximum collections to costs in 1960, are as follows:

Approximate termini Approximate
length
Ratio of
estimated
annual toll
collection
in 1960 to
annual cost
From— To—
Miles Percent
Richmond, Va. Washington, D.C. 108.0 76.1
San Ysidro, Calif. Los Angeles, Calif. 124.4 76.0
Whitewater, Calif. Indio, Calif. 32.7 73.3
Chicago, Ill. Angola, Ind. 156.9 72.9
Brigham, Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 52.3 69.9
Odessa, Tex. Dallas, Tex. 337.9 67.1
Los Angeles, Calif. San Fernando, Calif. 44.8 62.1
Buffalo, N.Y. Albany, N.Y. 287.6 61.9
Whitewater, Calif. Ludlow, Calif. 69.1 61.8
San Fernando, Calif. Tracy, Calif. [1]291.7 61.1
Minneapolis, Minn. Chicago, Ill. 392.6 57.6
Sacramento, Calif. Redding, Calif. 153.7 57.3
San Antonio, Tex. Dallas, Tex. 250.7 53.2
Portland, Maine Bangor, Maine 121.3 52.5
St. Joseph, Mo. Springfield, Ill. 275.7 51.7
Springfield, Ill. Indianapolis, Ind. 203.7 51.4
Carlisle, Pa. Philadelphia, Pa. 94.8 51.0
Angola, Ind. Detroit, Mich. 102.2 50.9
Tracy, Calif. Sacramento, Calif. 69.1 50.5
  1. Includes 42.3 miles of free highway.

On all other sections of the six superhighways as projected, the estimates made result in ratios of maximum collections to costs less than 50 percent.

The foregoing statement regarding collections and costs is based upon maximum estimates of traffic for sections of a complete system. If the sections were to be constructed as isolated units, the maximum collections and the ratios given would undoubtedly be materially reduced.

The comparisons made have reference to sections of substantial length extending between major controlling points on the highways. Doubtless, there would be shorter sections of the routes, perhaps some short sections of highway and some of the tunnels, but especially some of the bridges, which, if they were built and operated as local conveniences would accumulate a sufficient toll collection to cover all or a substantial part of their annual costs.

Each one of these indicated possibilities requires a thorough study in much more detail to determine the extent to which it might qualify as a sound, direct toll project.

On the basis of the investigation made and its results as briefly summarized above, a sound Federal policy for the construction of a system of transcontinental superhighways, traversing the entire extent of the United States from east to west and from north to south,