Highways and Highway Transportation

by George R. Chatburn

There is not time to go into the wealth of hardy perennial flowers, and the annuals which seed themselves, nor the grasses that may be utilized. The author would refer those who are interested to works on landscape gardening and horticulture. For a brief discussion of “the principles governing outdoor art with sundry suggestions for their application in the commoner problems of gardening,” see “Landscape Gardening,” by F. A. Waugh, Orange Judd Company, New York.

Semi-Formal Style.

—In what precedes much has been said about beautifying the highway by proper planting. Perhaps one of the nicest and most ornamental pieces of road is that with a single row of trees, uniformly set and of uniform size, down each side; the grass from the roadway out neatly clipped; and the edge of the roadway where it joins the ditch a distinct line parallel to the road center line. This is the geometrical or formal style fully carried out. Hard maples set, say, 75 feet apart will give satisfactory results. For long level stretches the Lombardy poplar will give a pleasing variety to the landscape. Careful attention to the small details of keeping the road surface well smoothed, the side lines straight and the grass and weeds mowed, will add wonderfully to the pleasure of traveling on any highway. It is not the intention to have the grass smoothed with a lawn mower—however, with the horse-drawn and motor driven mowers now available that would not be impossible, and the road would look all the better for such clipping—but to have it mowed two or three times a season to give the grass a chance to overcome ugly weeds. For this reason the side ditches should be as wide and shallow as possible in order that they might grow grass on their bottoms and the mowing be done with a machine.

Telephone and Other Poles.

—The matter of telephone, telegraph, electric light, and other poles is one that will bother. Telephone companies pay no more and not as much directly for the use of the highway as do trucks, but upon the theory that telephone communication is necessary for the transaction of community business and for the general dissemination of information, and from the further fact that any charge made for the use of the right of way would be passed on to the public as a sort of indirect tax, they are in most states allowed to set their poles along the roadside. The poles are more or less unsightly and as far as the beauty of the highway is concerned it would be better if they could be removed. In cities and villages the wires are being carried in cables and in many places under ground.

“The Ideal Section.”

—The so-called ideal section of pavement being sponsored by the Lincoln Highway Association, located about 40 miles south of Chicago, between Dyer and Schererville, Lake County, Indiana, is to have all pole lines and other unsightly features removed, that the natural beauty of the right of way may be enhanced. A prominent landscape gardener has made extensive studies of the land and natural features, it being in a wooded country, and has developed a plan of beautification which will be worked out along the roadside. The general specifications of the “Ideal Section” calls for 40 feet of concrete paving, 10 inches thick and reinforced with steel in such a manner that it is hoped to prevent cracking. Shoulders of 5 feet on each side will make the used roadway 50 feet wide. It is to be placed in the middle of a 100-foot right of way, allowing 25 feet each side for landscape gardening. The plans for the “Ideal Section” follow the advice of a highly trained technical committee of road engineers and road enthusiasts, and while they do not claim this represents the ultimate in highways, the Association believes an attempt should be made to crystallize the ideas of the foremost highway authorities of the country into a tangible expression of the ideal, even though the expression must lack perfection.

Of course, it is not possible that all roads in the country can be made “ideal sections.” Nor even can telephone poles be banished from the right of way. To do this, no matter how desirable it might be from an esthetic standpoint, is impracticable at the present time. It would not only be a very great hardship to the pole-using companies but the expense of removal and the cost of new right of way, or, if they be forced under ground, the cost of conduits, cables, and installation would become a part of the capital investment on which dividends must be earned. Since this would not bring extra business it would be passed on to the public by increased rates. As “it is a condition and not a theory that confronts us,” we must make the best of it and design the roadside treatment with the poles and wires as a part of it.

Location of Poles.

—In prairie district where there are no trees to interfere it is customary to set the poles either on the fence line or half the length of the cross-arms into the right of way. In case there are high hedges, trees or other obstructions, the poles are set near the side ditch, and trolley poles often on the very edge of the traveled roadway. On the whole it would seem best in most places to set the poles just outside of the ditch, leaving if possible the extreme edge for the planting of trees and shrubs. Neither poles nor trees should be set on the middle of the space between the edge of the ditch and the right-of-way boundary. In either case the limbs of the trees and the wires will interfere and the wiremen will hack the trees and leave them unsightly. In some states an attempt is made to prevent this and other vandalism by legal enactment, making it unlawful to cut any trees on the right of way without express permission of the highway commissioner.