The major deficiency in prevailing highway route selection method has been the inability to include social values, including natural resources and aesthetic values, within the criteria utilised. In this study, an attempt has been made to identify components of social value, natural resources, and scenic quality, and to locate these geographically. It is presumed that the area of lowest social value, if transected by a highway, incurs the least social cost. The normal determinants of highway route selection, topography, soils, etc., have been expanded to include management or impairment of ground and surface water resources, susceptibility to erosion, etc. when highway corridors of minimum social cost and minimum physiographic obstruction were revealed, they were tested against their effect on scenic values. The objective of providing an excellent scenic experience was considered as a social value created by the highway. The corridor of least social cost was next tested against the degree to which it could create new and productive land uses where these would be necessary and welcome. The sum of least social cost and highest benefit alignment was identified. It is described as the rate of maximum social benefit. The method revealed the route of least social cost and least physiographic obstruction as a funnel of land parallel to jacobs creek, proceeding along the base of pennington and sourland mountain and widening into a trumpet as it meets the raritan river. This alignment has the added merit of permitting management of the aquifer recharge area which it parallels to the benefit of ground water resources in the delaware-raritan area. It provides an excellent scenic experience. It should additionally induce new and productive land uses in the west trenton area and the raritan river communities. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting