Highways and Highway Transportation

by George R. Chatburn

One of the most common and most effective methods of marking a road is to paint a band of distinguishing color around the telephone poles along the way. In addition to the color band a letter or insignia may be used. The Lincoln Highway uses a red strip at the top and bottom of the white band and a blue L. The Detroit, Lincoln, Denver route uses black strips at the top and bottom of the white band and black monogram made up of the letters D. L. D. The state of Nebraska erects markers showing the number of the road in its state system and the number of the mile on the road. This is partly for the convenience of travelers and partly to assist in systematic filing of records in the office. In case it is necessary to make a special report the patrolman can give the location almost exactly, for example, “Road 14, mile 32, north quarter, washout,” or more simply, “14, 32, N Q, washout.” This is very definite. The state of Wisconsin uses a triangle as an insignia in which is placed the legend “State Trunk Highway,” the number of the highway and the abbreviation Wis.

Several of the states have adopted the method of setting quite large signs alongside the roadway and forbid the placing of advertising signs, even though they give road information, or signs by local volunteer associations. This would seem to be going a little too far for volunteer associations have done much for better road construction in this country as well as to give publicity to the advantages of traveling over the particular road in which they are interested. The influences which they have been able to bring upon local road officers by various means has had a wonderful effect in keeping in good condition the marked road and by emulation other roads joining with it. The most of these associations have contented themselves with marking a route from one terminal to another. They have not asked for a special kind of surfacing. They have aided by advice and perhaps occasionally assisted to put in a sample mile of good road. For example the Lincoln Highway is at the present time interesting itself in financing and constructing an “ideal section” of road in Indiana. (See [Chapter XII], [p. 413].) On the whole it is the belief of the writer that the good done by these associations inures to the great benefit of the general public and until a comprehensive plan can be agreed upon by all the states they should be allowed to continue their work.

Distance and Direction Signs.

—Direction signs are such as point out the direction which a traveler must take to keep on a particular route. Distance signs also give information as to distances from the sign to particular places. These two classes are often combined. In addition to these there are warning and detour signs which may also be direction signs.

Mile posts are not new. It was the custom to plant them along the old Roman roads. It has already been mentioned that board markers are frequently placed along the state numbered highways. It would be better to have well-designed cut stones or concrete posts set at even miles, and, perhaps, also at ¹⁄₂ or ¹⁄₄ mile points as well. The post should bear the number or insignia of the highway and the mile number, measured from some particular terminal. Wisconsin uses a triangle as an insignia; other states use an outline map of the state, which is usually not so simple and requires larger sign boards and hence greater expense, and is not so symmetrical and neat looking. The abbreviation of the state name is sufficient. This is to be placed on the side facing the road. It has been suggested that on the side toward the approaching traveler may be placed the name of the next village, town or city in that direction with the distance in miles. On the other side visible after passing would appear the name of the last village passed. The only difficulty with this scheme would be the size of the post required. To get the name on in readable letters would require a post 16 to 24 inches square. So large a post would run the cost up materially.

A hollow circular post with a cap cast on its top could be made of cement.

Iron signs have been successfully used. The Automobile Club of Minneapolis used a malleable cast-iron form 30 inches long, ⁵⁄₈ inch thick, and 3 inches wide. The letters are 2 inches high and the letters and a half-inch border are raised about ¹⁄₈ of an inch. The sign is bolted to a 2¹⁄₂ inch galvanized-iron pipe set in concrete. The sign is galvanized, the background painted white and the raised border and letters finished in black. The cost was approximately $7 per sign.

Steel signs with letters spot welded to them are on the market.

Concrete posts with board signs are common and if occasionally repainted make a durable comparatively cheap sign.

One of the chief objections to the advertising signs placed along some highways is that the information relative to the highway occupies a very small portion of the space and is not easily read while the advertisement stands out very prominently. If the road authorities put the signs up at public expense they could be much smaller and would desecrate the landscape correspondingly less.