Reno/Sparks History
Washoe
County History
A BIT
OF RENO AND SPARKS HISTORY
Excerpt from You and Your Freeway
State of Nevada Department of Highways - circa 1957
A
Freeway is Needed Here
A freeway
for Reno and Sparks is a must. Both cities are growing rapidly,
main arteries are already jammed to capacity and traffic is increasing
daily. Sooner or later bold action must be taken to keep vehicles
moving safely. Now a freeway is possible, financed almost entirely
with Federal funds. A freeway here will be an immediate cure for
many of today's and tomorrow's traffic problems. The Federal Government
is ready to build this freeway and will pay 95 percent of the cost
of the huge project, some 30 million dollars. Work can begin on
the freeway as soon as a route is determined. You can have a freeway
if you want it. IT'S UP TO YOU!
What's
Happening Elsewhere?
Freeway
construction in most parts of the country is going forward rapidly.
In southern Nevada, a freeway route was selected this summer and
endorsed enthusiastically by most residents. This urban freeway
is now well into the design stage. In California on U.S. 40, another
36 miles of freeway will be built east of Sacramento next year.
This construction will greatly encourage tourist traffic into this
area. The national construction program calls for 41,000 miles of
freeways to be built across the country, to be completed in 13 years.
The freeway
program was passed by Congress in 1956 and will be paid for by slightly
increased taxes to the road user - increases of $7.00 to $10.00
per year for tires and fuel.
For his
money, the taxpayer will have the most modern and safe system of
freeways in the world. This network of superhighways will link every
state and most of our largest cities. When completed, it will be
possible to drive coast to coast without stopping for a traffic
light.
Offsetting
the higher tax cost to the average driver will be the savings he
can expect from the new roads - up to two cents per mile in car
operating costs! There will be other savings, too, such as reductions
in driving time and reductions in accidents.
Nevada is
fortunate that two routes through the state were selected by the
Government to become freeways. Already, many miles of our Nevada
freeway system are in the planning or construction stage. Reno and
Sparks should not be allowed to become the "missing link"
on the U.S. 40 freeway route.
