- Oct 14, 1999
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Roads are hell on the extremes of the country right now. Its a real PITA to drive anywhere in alot of eastern cities, let alone trying to get from strategic roadways between Virginia and Maryland. I was lucky enough to catch the "Autobahn" documentary on the History channel today and was tickled silly by the whole concept. The idea of the autobahn was more for the "executive" side of society when it was first developed, than for transportation or for the general public. The roadway was generally constructed for 100mph traffic, which at that time was unlikely in any civilian vehicle. The autobahn is not exactly free to the public, as it requires a $2000 drivers license and both a physical and performance-level examination in order to legally enter those roadways. The vehicle also must pass an annual physical inspection, the same time the vehicle (fees paid) is registered for road use. The general idea is "drive in the right lane, pass in the left lane" with fines based on the monetary income of the driver. Road speeds are not "umlimited speed" but now actually regulated in urban areas with dynamically assigned speed restrictions based on the amount and types of traffic, overall roadway conditions, time of day, and weather.
So here is what separated the American highway from an "executive autobahn":
1. State vehicle fees vs. Federal autobahn fees.
2. Annual personal license requirement and fee of $2000. (Executives can easily afford it, especially if it knocks off upwards of an hour on the commute!)
3. Four to five year vs. annual physical, written, and performance based test. (Most states wave the performance test if you have no violations, too.)
4. Roadways designed for 75mph versus 100+ mph traffic, and 20 year vs. 40 year lifespans of the roadway.
5. Roadways weight limitations set by state roadway managers and fees for each trip based on volume and weight, vs. no hitched truck-trailer traffic and a similar fee system for heavier vehicles.
Does anyone slse think that upper crust Americans would support the idea of an "executive autobahn" supported by federal dollars?
So here is what separated the American highway from an "executive autobahn":
1. State vehicle fees vs. Federal autobahn fees.
2. Annual personal license requirement and fee of $2000. (Executives can easily afford it, especially if it knocks off upwards of an hour on the commute!)
3. Four to five year vs. annual physical, written, and performance based test. (Most states wave the performance test if you have no violations, too.)
4. Roadways designed for 75mph versus 100+ mph traffic, and 20 year vs. 40 year lifespans of the roadway.
5. Roadways weight limitations set by state roadway managers and fees for each trip based on volume and weight, vs. no hitched truck-trailer traffic and a similar fee system for heavier vehicles.
Does anyone slse think that upper crust Americans would support the idea of an "executive autobahn" supported by federal dollars?