Permanent Marking for the Highway
A national Board has selected certain trunklines as “United States Highways.” These are the national arterial highways ot highest importance that are to be promptly developed to carry a heavy volume of travel. The same Joint Board has devised a national marking plan for these highways, including the loutc designation and number as shown inside front cover and also including standard signing for railroad crossings, curves, caution and other signs. The final naming of the highways has been left to decision by the States.
The country has been burdened with numerous meaningless road promotions and names. The people innocently have encouraged these promotions. Travelers are confused and the public is misled. The great work now ahead is to fix officially the established names coupled with the United States Highway numbers that map making, tourist information and travel guidance may be clearly defined.
Before the United States Highways were selected Ohio combined the State number and the Lincoln Highway name as the illustration shows. This simple combination created clear understandings. The same idea for the United States Highways with the addition of the color symbol will give travelers simple and effective guidance. Experience has shown the color symbol the one quick, sure guide night or day. Nights when neither numbers nor names can be read the color symbol flashes' the signal. In traffic or threading tnough the streets of strange cities or at an unexpected corner on the road the driver has time only for the color symbol for his direction Travelers for many years have learned the comfort ol the color design. Now the color symbol can be embodied with c otici peimanent marking for the aid it gives the traveler and or the pride of the people through whose homelands the high-' Thc °}d„ SPanish Tra'I Association has issued a p mphlet discussing fully this question of permanent marking.
beau.veS18L T'! °n t le ,ba,ck C0Ver -is .a "barker of dignity and svstpm i W C -US by establishing a splendid marking system and preserving the imperishable name.
— 22 —
’Beautifying the Old Spanish Trail
Mrs. Frank W. Sorell National Director, Department of Beautification.
A principle of the Old Spanish Trail work is:—The men will build thc highway, thc women will beautify it.
1 here have now been spent or appropriated and in process of construction over £62,000,000. The highway from Florida to California is rapidly opening to comfortable travel.
In 192j the Parliament of Women at New Orleans organized the women of the Old Spanish Trail for roadside beautification thc first interstate or national movement for this purpose in thc United States.
A first step has been thc selection of the thirty-mile section from San Antonio to Boerne, Texas, as the Headquarters work in beautification. In this Headquarters Section every problem that is likely to arise along the Old Spanish Trail is encountered and wc are gaining the experience to help the work in all sections.
ri his Headquarters Section is already too narrow for safe travel; as travel grows it will be more unsafe. Property owners are being solicited for the land to widen to one hundred feet. When widened nicer fences and attractive gateways will be urged. County line markers have been designed and financed for construction. Other plans include tree planting where necessary and the preservation and improvement of present trees and the landscape, the signing of distinctive and of historical places, State Line markers and similar work.
Before an attractive roadside can be permanently fostered the roadside advertising abuse must be controlled; to this end a study has been made of all laws on this subject in the United States and a form of law for passage by legislatures has been drafted. Highway officials have helped remove advertising signs.
A pretty tract has been secured for a wayside park; stone fences, rock fire-places, rock tables and benches, a bathing pool, a rock caretaker’s house and other conveniences are being installed that travelers may have a pretty spot for relaxation. Many attractive spots are along the highway that can also be made into wayside parks.
State leaders are being appointed.^ Local councils will be organized. Headquarters will try to give cooperation that local councils may proceed with their local improvements. Trips out over the highway will now be planned that we may become acquainted with one another and help make this h'ghway the most attractive as well as the most traveled.
— 23 —