10 University of New Hampshire [Bulletin 339 



New Hampshire's 204 rural towns display wide differences in 

 their ability to bear their road burdens/ Valuations per mile of Class 

 V road range from $5,800 in Mason, to $714,426 in Monroe. (See 

 Appendix A for each town's valuation per mile of Class V road.) 

 There are 29 towns with less than a $10,000 valuation per mile of 

 Class V road and 60 towns with a valuation of from $10,000 to $20,000. 

 On the other hand, there are 31 towns with a valuation of from $50,000 

 to $100,000 per mile of Class V road; 10 towns with a valuation of 

 from $100,000 to $200,000; and eight towns with a valuation of over 

 $200,000. (See Table 2.) 



STATE AIDS TO CLASS V ROADS 



Because of the vast differences among the 204 towns in numl:)ers 

 of road miles to be maintained, number of persons served by roads, 

 and taxable wealth, the State has attempted to equalize partially town 

 road burdens by distributing town roacl subsidies. State aid to town 

 roads is divided into two categories: (1) State aid for town road con- 

 struction of Class V roads, and (2) State aid for Class V road main- 

 tenance. 



Town road aid. State aid for Class V road construction, com- 

 monly known as "town road aid" or TRA, is available in any year to 

 any town or city which does not accept State aid for Class II highways 

 and which has no uncompleted State aid orange road.° Towns with 

 more than five miles of .SAO road to build, however, may receive TRA 

 and State aid for secondary construction either or both in the same 

 year. The law provides that — 



"The basis for the apportionment as between towns for State aid for 

 Class V highways shall be five hundred thousand dollars."" 



"Four fifths of the allotment herein provided shall be proportioned to 

 towns and cities and unorganized places in direct proportion as the mileage 

 of Class V roads in each town or city bears to the total mileage of Class V 

 road in the State and one-fifth in direct proportion as the population of each 

 town or city bears to the total population of the State."' 



"Any city or town that desires to apply for aid upon Class V roads 

 shall raise or set aside an amount equal to twenty-five percent of the appor- 

 tionment made to such city, town, or place under Section 26."^ 

 The law further provides that the joint fund — 



"... shall be expended for the improvement and maintenance of rural 

 post roads and/or Class V highways by the towns and cities under the super- 

 vision of and on locations approved by the highway commissioner. No city 

 or town shall expend more than $1500 for each mile of road improved in any 

 one year from funds provided under this act except by written permission of 

 the commissioner."" 



"All Class V roads improved with State aid as herein provided shall be 

 maintained by the city or town within which they are located at its expense."^" 



* In this portion of the study 25 towns with compact city streets and a popukition of 2,500 and 



over and five towns having less than one mile of Class V roads have been eliminated. 

 ■'' See p. 18 for detailed explanation of secondary system. 

 P. L. Chap. 84 Sec. 25. 

  P. L. Chap. 84 Sec. 26. 

 8 P. L. Chap. 84 Sec. 26a. 

 " P. L. Chap. 84 Sec. 26c. 

 M P. L. Chap. 84 Sec. 26d. 



