The road building program which has just been passed by Congress, after nearly two years of discussion, is one of the most farseeing programs ever adopted. There have been many times during the long efforts of the Illinois Municipal League and the American Municipal Association to secure passage of an expanding road bill when it looked like the debate would never cease. The bill, as it emerges from the Congress, is essentially a compromise of the conflicting interests of hundreds of different segments of our population. The way is clear now to proceed on one of the greatest public works undertakings in the history of the world.

As it was finally approved, the bill provides for the completion in the next 13 years of a 40,000-mile network of interstate highways connecting more than 200 of the nation's major cities. The federal government will pay 90 per cent of the cost of this $27 billion system and the states will pay the remaining 10 per cent. On the controversial subject of allocating funds to the states, it was decided that for the first three years of the program money would be allocated to the states on the basis of the traditional formula—two-thirds on population, one-sixth on area, and one-sixth on miles of star routes within the state. During the three year period, the state highway departments in cooperation with the Bureau of Public Roads are to undertake a new study of highway needs which, subject to approval by Congress and periodic re-study, will be the basis for allocations during the remaining ten years of the program. At the end of the 13-year construction period, the 40,000-mile system will be completed to standards to handle the 1975 traffic load. Each state will have received 90 per cent of the cost of completing the sections of the system within its state. An extension of 1,000 miles for the Interstate System is authorized but no provision is made for financing the additional mileage.

Allocations for federal-aid primary, secondary, and urban systems are increased to $825 million for fiscal 1957, $850 million for fiscal 1958, and $875 million for fiscal 1959. Each state's allocation is to be distributed within the state so that 45 per cent will go to primary roads, 30 per cent for secondary, and 25 per cent for urban extensions. It is estimated that over the life of the program approximately $5 billion will be spent within urban areas for urban extensions.

For the federal domain roads, appropriations are authorized as follows: for roads and trails in national parks, $16 million for fiscal year 1958 and a similar amount for 1959; for roads on Indian reservations, $12 million for 1958 and the same amount for fiscal 1959; for forest highways, $30 million is authorized for fiscal year 1958 and a like sum for 1959; for forest development roads and trails, $27 million is authorized for fiscal 1958 and the same amount for 1959.

Allocations for the State of Illinois for the fiscal years 1957, 1958 and 1959 will be as follows: for the federal-aid primary system $32.4 million; for the federal-aid secondary or feeder roads $17.6 million; for federal-aid urban highways $32.6 million; and for the Interstate System $221.6 million. The interstate funds must be matched by 10 per cent from the state. All other federal-aid funds must be matched by an equal amount of state funds except for certain western states where federal contributions are more than 50 per cent because of the large amounts of tax-exempt public lands within the states.

The matter of reimbursements to publicly and privately owned utilities for the cost of relocation of facilities (water mains, power lines, etc.) incident to highway construction is left to the states. If a state pays the utility for these relocations from state funds, the federal government will in turn reimburse the state for the federal pro rata share for the highway system involved. This is 90 per cent on the Interstate System and 50 per cent on all other federal-aid highways.

Truck weights for the Interstate System are limited to 18,000 pounds for a single axle or 32,000 pounds for a tandem-axle. There is an overall gross weight limitation of 73,280 pounds and a width limitation of 96 inches. Final determination of maximum desirable sizeable weights will await the results of a series of tests which are to be concluded by March 1, 1959.

The Secretary of Commerce will regulate wages paid to laborers and mechanics employed by contractors on the Interstate System. This is known as the Davis-Racon Act and is modified in three important respects. In determining prevailing wage rates, the Secretary must use the wages paid to comparable positions in the immediate area. In arriving at his determinations, the Secretary is instructed to consult with the state highway department and is instructed to predetermine the minimum wages so that they may be posted on the advertisement for bids. A Senate amendment requiring judicial review of the Secretary's determination was rejected.

Perhaps one of the most significant provisions of the new bill is the requirement that the Secretary of Commerce make a study to determine what steps can be taken by the federal government to increase highway safety. The study is to determine such things as need for federal assistance to states and local governments for enforcement of safety and speed requirements, the advisability of uniform state and highway safety laws, and the possibility of increasing highway safety in the manufacturing of motor vehicles. A report is to be made to Congress not later than March 1, 1959 and $200,000 is made available for the study.

A provision of the law which will help reduce the cost of the entire program is the one which authorizes the states to acquire rights-of-way for all the federal-aid systems up to five years in advance of actual construction.

Those states which are able to proceed with their highway construction at a faster rate than their annual federal allocations will allow are authorized to proceed beyond their allocation with the understanding that they will later he reimbursed for this construction under their regular highway authorizations. This authorization is limited to the Interstate System.

For the first time the Territory of Alaska is to be included in the regular federal-aid highway program. They are not included on the Interstate System however.

A provision which would have allowed the states to include the cost of relocating tenants incident to highway construction as part of the cost of the highway program was rejected. There is a provision which allows the states to use the air space above and the ground below interstate highways to provide parking. A public hearing is required to be held by the state highway department when they submit plans for federal-aid highway projects which involve the bypassing or going through any city, town, or village either incorporated or unincorporated.

The 13-year construction program is to be financed on a pay-as-you-go basis. In the next 16 years, existing taxes on certain highway user items such as gasoline and tires, plus receipts from new highway user taxes

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and increases in others will finance the necessary construction. New tax schedules are expected to go into effect about July 1 of this year. Buses operated within cities are exempt from the gasoline tax and a special tax on vehicles of over 36,000 pounds.

As the nation begins the task of building this tremendous highway system, a note of appreciation is in order for the members of Congress and the Administration who have made this program possible. A note of thanks is also due to the numerous groups including mayors and city officials in this state who have so actively supported this program since its inception almost two years ago. Finally, the warmest note of praise should be reserved for the American public who have consistently supported a program to build modern, safe and efficient roads and have indicated an overwhelming willingness to pay the bill.