Public Roads: A Journal of Highway Research, Vol. 33, No. 8

Thiel, Floyd I.; Chaves, Jesse R.; Schuster, R.L.; Powers, Lawrence D.; Barber, Edward S. · 1965 · ROSA P / United States. Government Printing Office

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Summary

This 1965 article by Floyd I. Thiel, published in *Public Roads*, addresses the complex land use and development problems surrounding highway interchanges. The research was motivated by the rapid pace of land development in the United States, which created significant traffic congestion and aesthetic issues near controlled-access highways. While interchanges offer economic opportunities for local communities, uncoordinated development often exceeds the traffic-carrying capacity of these facilities. The paper synthesizes findings from various studies conducted by state highway departments and the Bureau of Public Roads to evaluate existing land use controls and propose effective management strategies. The study analyzes the effectiveness of different legal mechanisms for controlling land use, specifically comparing police power (such as zoning and subdivision regulations) with eminent domain techniques. Data from surveys, including an AASHO-NACO survey of counties, revealed that urban areas generally had more land use controls than rural areas, yet zoning alone proved insufficient due to enforcement difficulties and high rates of successful rezoning appeals. The author notes that while zoning can slow development, it is vulnerable to economic pressure and special interest lobbying. In contrast, eminent domain offers stronger enforcement through contracts and easements but is often prohibitively expensive. The paper also highlights the complexity of the problem, noting that traffic congestion is not solely caused by immediate land use but also by remotely generated traffic, making simple access restrictions inadequate. Key findings indicate that a combination of police power and eminent domain is the most appropriate approach for managing interchange areas. Specifically, the acquisition of access rights is recommended as a cost-effective method to control hazardous or high-traffic-generating uses while allowing other development. The study emphasizes that local land use controls are often inadequate or poorly enforced, suggesting that state highway agencies should provide leadership and technical guidance to local communities. A priority system is proposed to focus efforts on suburban interchanges near urban fringes, where development pressure is highest and coordination is lowest. The paper concludes that definitive solutions require more quantitative research on traffic generation characteristics, space requirements for service facilities, and the compatibility of different land uses.

Key finding

A combination of eminent domain and police power techniques appears to be the most appropriate method for controlling economic development near highway interchanges.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• roadway lighting effects
• signage environment