ROADSIDE CONTROL 275 



beauty are incompatible. In my opinion the only realistic alternative 

 to corridor legislation is the use of land-use control through the real- 

 istic adoption of use classifications. In this area the Federal Gov- 

 ernment can provide immeasurable guidance, without losing local 

 support which is so necessary for obtaining the final goals. 



The President has called for positive action to correct the situa- 

 tion. He has not asked for an alternative which allows for the 

 construction of bigger signs which set further from the highways 

 which will only further block our view of natural beauty. 



CHARLES E. FRASER. The American recreational traveler suffers 

 both from an excess of billboards advertising consumer products 

 and an acute scarcity of useful and visible directional signs. He 

 protests the billboards cluttering and spoiling the view. Yet, he 

 becomes far more annoyed, when traveling a strange route, when he 

 misses his turn off because the necessary direction sign is either too 

 small and he fails to see it, or because his sought-for sign does not 

 exist. 



The swiftly traveling vacationer needs directional sign guidance 

 in locating the facility he is seeking, whether it be a public or private 

 recreational lake, public or private park or gardens, a restaurant, or 

 a place of lodging. He gets such guidance effectively within the 

 confines of our national parks and a few other large land tracts under 

 unified control, but rarely elsewhere. 



The vital role of directional signs in making recreational auto 

 travel a pleasant occasion, and the negative effect of helter-skelter 

 billboards is revealed in the results of the latest questionnaires of the 

 American Automobile Association, dealing with major annoyances 

 on the highway. These questionnaires were sent to the representative 

 members of the 5.6 million AAA members. 



Their most frequently mentioned complaints of major annoyances 

 on the highway were as follows: 



Percent 



1. Confusing or inadequate direction signs 62 



2. Unclean restrooms 49 



3. Traffic congestion in urban areas 33 



4. Large trucks and buses 31 



5. Billboards on scenic highways 30 



6. Very large house trailers 19 



7. Lack of service on freeways 15 



8. Other annoyances 15 



