on November 14, 1963. And more than four million vehicles have
traversed that road to date. On the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thru-
way only two persons have died since it opened in 1957. This facility
carries as much as 63 thousand cars a day.
These records of safety are amazing. And now, we have the oppor-
tunity for additional safety on the Capital Beltway. With its three lanes
in each direction, the Beltway can be safer than them all and will entice
traffic from the congested local street systems. It will add to the entire
pattern of safety in the Washington metropolitan region.
In addition there is the opportunity for saving of time. The trip
from one suburban community to another—from Hyattsville to Bethesda,
for example—will be considerably shorter in time. The completion of
this highway affords opportunity for the savings of money. No longer
will the lateral traffic of the area be subjected to stop and go movement
which prevails on existing street systems. It has been estimated that
travel on modern freeways is two cents a mile cheaper than on conven-
tional highways. To the commuter, the trucker and others who con-
stantly travel the corridor traversed by the Beltway, this represents a
substantial saving each year.
There is a further opportunity for our State in the completion of the
Capital Beltway. How often have we heard of the economic growth
which follows the construction of freeways? The Baltimore County
Economic Development Office has estimated that the Baltimore Beltway
and its connecting freeways will mean an additional five hundred mil-
lion dollars worth of industry to the county within 20 years. In
Boston, $113 million dollars worth of assessable property along Route
128, a Beltway-type road, has been developed by new industry since the
highway was opened a decade ago.
What will the Beltway do for Montgomery and Prince George's coun-
ties in the field of industrial growth, in the creation of new jobs for its
people? At this point, the impact is difficult to forecast. Can we foresee
how great the impact will be? How many jobs will be created? How
much the economic posture of these counties will be aided? There is
little question it will be great. The only question is how great. Therein
lies an opportunity for county government to make the most of this road.
Proper planning and proper land use with relation to the Beltway can do
much toward lifting the economy of these counties.
With these opportunities, however, comes responsibility. The motor-
ist, of course, has the responsibility to use this road wisely, to stay alert,
to make sure his vehicle is operating properly, to learn the new driving
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