Bad roads boost driving costs by $265 million HARRISBURG- Rough, rutted roads cost Penn sylvania drivers an extra $265 million a year in fuel, tire wear and vehicle repairs, says a new study. Bumpy, broken pavement boosts driving costs by an average of 41 per cent a year over the cost of travel on a smooth 'road surface, ac cording to The Road In formation Program (TRIP), of Washington* D.C. The research and in formation agency found: - Hurty-per cent of Penn ERTH-RITE SOIL CONDITIONER MAXICROP LIQUID PLANT FEEDING FEED-RUE Vitamin t Mmtral for livestock , and poultry. ZOOK & RANCK, INC. KOI, Gap, FA 17527 Phone 717-442-4171 ...at less than half the price per square foot! It’s quite a buildings —our Off-Peak Wide Span We say ‘buildings’ because that’s what it is, two buildings in one. The big, ctear-span part is just what you need to store large, tall equipment—combines, 4-wheel dnve tractors, hay balers and other super-size farm tools. The off-peak side bay gives you up to 50% more storage space to 'garage' smaller imple ments and vehicles—tillage tools, small tractors, trucks, cars, trailers, boats, the family camper, maybe a snowmobile or two A big, wide sliding track door in the dear-span section lets you move big machinery in and out easily, while the smaller door on the side bay endwall pro vides easy m/out access for smaller equipment without ‘jockeying’ the bigger stuff around to do it. If you need a new building why not get the one that gives you double utility, plus more space at less cost. The Off-Peak Wide Span from Wickes Buildings—it’s the best of both worlds. The Off-Peak Wide Span Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Box 300 . (717) 733*2312 U Wickes Buildings A Divis on of The Wickes Corporation sylvania’s 34,228 miles of main roads are deficient Tiy federal inspection stan dards. This includes 7,830 miles rated “fair” and 2,438 miles rated “poor.” - It costs an average of 41.3 per cent more to drive on the “fair” and “poor” roads than on “good” roads, or 9 cents-per-mile versus 6.4 cents-per-mile. - The state’s drivers traveled 10 billion vehicle miles in 1975, the latest year of record, on “poor” and “fair” main roads at a total cost of $905.3 million. Had these roads been in “good” condition, the travel would have cost $640.7 million - a saving of $264.6 million. The roads in TRIP’S study are the arterial and collector systems. They account for 30 per cent of Pennsylvania’s 115,187 mile total road system but handle 76 per cent of the traffic. “Pennsylvania motorists are paying a premium to drive on uncomfortable, hazardous roads,” said TRIP spokesman Henry D. Harral of Honey brook, who announced the study finding. Call collect today. HIGHWAY 222 Harral is a former secretary of the Pennsylvania High way Department. “Road agencies have fallen behind in road renewal in recent years because of a lack of funds,” Harral said. “The problem is aggravated by the fact that nearly $lOO million in road-user tax revenues are used for other state services,” Harral said the state needs to preserve and protect its roads to minimize main tenance costs and reduce the number of accidents where poor pavement is a factor. TRIP estimates it would cost |1.3 billion to rebuild the 2,438 miles of roads in “poor” condition and $951.3 million to resurface the 7,830 miles of roads considered “fair." Many of the roads involved are eligible for federal-aid funds covering between 70 and 90 per cent of the total cost. An adequate road renewal program is essential to keep pace with an estimated 18 per cent increase in traffic volume in Pennsylvania by 1967 says the study. V * J* > ...and Everything In «’» Place. WKKES M JL CREDIT Always availabla to qualrfiad boyars. TV, W»~| Ask about a IJ j IL 1 convaniant pfin ft 1 ■■ to fit your budget lj- ■. Ji | The recommended road improvements would last from 12 to'2s years depen ding on pavement type, thickness and foundation, traffic conditions, weather and terrain, says TRIP. TRIP’S findings are based on sceintific road tests that measured fuel consumption and tire and vehicle wear Soil Scientists return to the field LANCASTER, Pa. - It is that time of year when once again soil survey parties like Donald Holzer and Boyd Custer can be seen in the fields continuing soil mapping (identifying a soil and delineating the soil area on a aerial photo). Many people mistaldngly believe that a soil survey Horticulture [Continued from Page 57] (tension programs”, state-for further testing remarked the professor. “As under the direction of Ex- the interest developed for tension Specialists and green plants, we provided County Agents,” said production schedules for Hepler. “These same people greenhouse operators; as provide ideas to keep our this demand tapers off in research program in tune favor of flowering plants, with the needs of fanners.” we’re ready with improved Potato research and ex- varieties. Our research on tension work, a respon- curtains for conserving heat sibility of the Department of and solar collection systems Horticulture since April 1, for greenhouses, projects 1976 is typical, with much of involving several research the work conducted with departments, were inspired cooperating farmers around hy concerns brought to us tiie state. through extension per “ Our work in floriculture sonnel”. has a direct tie-in to ex- Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 7.1977 relative to the physical condition of the pavement in use. Road tests were con ducted by Paul J. CJaffey and Associates of Potsdam, New York. The tests showed that drivers used up to one-third more fuel when stopping or slowing to pass safely over comes to a standstill during the Winter months, but that’s not true. Only the field work ceases but important work is accomplished during the Winter. Such things as the writing of soil descriptions, the summarizing of field notes and the transfer of soil lines from temporary maps to rough, broken pavement before resuming normal speed* Driving on substandard pavement also increased tire wear by an average of 156 per cent a year and ac celerated brake, steering and suspension system wear by an average of 72 per cent, according to the tests. more permanent sheets and more were done last Winter. However, Spring is one of the best times for mapping soils, because the fields are relatively open and free of crops. Both Holzer and Custer, who work out of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Office, Farm and Home Center Building, Lancaster, agree that Spring and early Summer are the best times to review land forms and soils in particular. So, once again these two men will be seen somewhere in Lancaster County doing the job they were asked to do by local government. “Identification of a soil area by looking at the soil layers (horizons) from the surface down to five or more feet, is the name of the game,” explained Custer. “Hie local people have in the past been quite cooperative in allowing us access to their land so that we can do our job, which means walking, augering, taking notes and often taking soil samples,” Custer further' adds. 59
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers