Show delip designation mation of IT S 0 3 explained bv utah state road commissioners the following letter from preston 0 peterson chairman ot of the state foaad coan commission assion explains the designation ol of V U S 6 it developed during the meeting held in the governors office last friday that there is a misunderstanding der regarding the importance ot of federal numbered highways such as U S 6 1 I am writing this explanation in the hope that you can help correct the erroneous opinion that seems to exist in this matter after listening to some of the gentlemen who spoke in the meeting I 1 got the impression that they understand these U S numbered highways to be a function of the government thru the U S bureau of public roads and that the designation of a highway as a U S highway carries with it a guarantee that considerable mony will be expended on it because of its US number and in this case that the designation of US 6 with VS LS 40 would have insured earlier completion ion this Is not the case at all the government through the bureau of public roads has nothing whatever to do with the U S numbered highways except that the chief engineer of the bureau is a member of the committee which designates these roads the U S system of numbering was originated years ago and governor blood was one of the instigators of the movement at that time there were fourteen trails leading up state street into salt lake city such as the pikes peak ocean to ocean highway the overland trail the lincoln highway the evergreen trail etc people along the route were being imposed upon by these associations and the whole scheme was developing into a racket each association had agents out selling advertising to cafes hotels merchants etc in order that their names dighe be placed in a booklet published by the association the rates in most cases were very tant in order to do away with such praet practices icer eB as djs tf s the american association of state officials proposed the numbering of all principal highways as now numbered and at that time U S 30 40 50 etc were so designated in some cases the U S numbered highways do not even on follow 0 eru the federal aid system sy ste this th will be the case if U S 6 is routed on the proposed route since the entire highway from santa quin through delta to the nevada line is oft off the federal aid system and will not be eligible ele gible for federal funds unless money is made available tor for expenditure on secondary roads that is until such time as that highway can be designated part of the federal aid system so you see that the designation of one ne of these roads by number has absolutely nothing to do with the time when it is likely to be completed you may assure the good people of the metah basin that no action which has been taken or which may be taken regarding ti S 6 will influence in any way the c of U S 40 there is another thing which should be mentioned in connection with the proposed di designation ot of V U S 6 these designations are made as was stated slated before by thel the executive committee of theamer the american association of 0 state highway Illg hway officials and no action Is taken by this committee until the states involved pre are in accord in the case of V U S 6 the state or of colorado refused to permit it to be designated over U S 40 so long as that remains the case it would not be so designated therefore at the meeting held in grand junction when it was finally decided to request the designation of U B S 6 across utah following U S 50 part of the way it was only done after the meeting had been adjourned long lone enough to determine definitely the attitude of colorado the uintah basin has not suffered in any way because of the proposed designation of TJ S 6 the completion of U S 40 would not have been speeded up by designating US 6 over US 40 since there would have been nothing in such designation but name it if our experience peri ence Is worth anything it demonstrates on that travel follows improved highways regardless of the name or number the ilie action odthe atthe commission in routing US 6 over US 50 as far as spanish fork has put practically the entire state behind the completion of US 40 as evidenced by the resolution attached hereto which was adopted at grand junction I 1 the real truth of the matter Is that our commission refused refusals usall to further consider US 6 after ref refusal of colorado to accept designation over US 40 until the southern 17 counties represented by their associated socia ted civic clubs had unanimously agreed to support the early completion of U S 40 whereas at a joint meeting ol 01 ia the associated civic clubs of southern utah and of the citizens of grand junction colorado district 1 held at grand junction on the day of april 1936 the following resolution was unanimously adopted that we urge and request the utah state road hoad commission t to recommend to the american ass association ot of state highway officials official i the designation of united states h highway ah a y no ki v velt e t h highway high I 1 g h 14 known fron atlon I 1 co colo I 1 west e t sp spanish anis h port park rj over er U state tt e h highway ha a no 0 a 91 I 1 to state slate t te h highway gh to q y no 0 27 ne nevada da state line to that we also state board aa d CD mu coan nl r re U 2 40 in thea the ea state tat a d dustless u atless aless standard Etan t d daMir d by 4 of some me bituminous sw im as it 0 may be possie pos 1444 eft |