This is an area of preservation that is just catching on, not just in
preservation circles (or is that rotarys?) but in the popular press (see
NYTimes "Automotive " section from 10/21/98) and in best selling books/award
winning documentaries ("The Asphalt Rebellion", Jane Holtz Kay, "Divided
Highways", Tom Lewis).  It is also catching on with the anti-sprawl devotees
as it is the road that gets us "there" (wherever "there" is).

I am a preservation enginner in the NY State Historic Preservation Office,
and we have been engaging NYS DOT on New York's historic parkways.  In the
process I have collected a lot of information in the area you are interested
in.  I suggest you start with the following basic library:

"Saving Historic Roads" by Paul Daniel Marriot, John Wiley & Sons, 1998

"Flexibility in Highway Design" U.S. Department of Transportation, 1997

"Vermont State Standards for the Design of Transportation construction,
reconstruction and Rehabilitation on Freeways, Roads and Streets.  Vermont
Agency of Transportation 1996

"Manual:  Guidelines for Rural Town and County Roads"  New York State County
Highway Superintentent's Association 1990 [log in to unmask]

Connecticut has enacted a law which permits municipalities to establish
special "village districts>"  Although the original intent of the "village
district" law was to minimize the impact of road design standards and the
effects of road widening on small towns, the law was expanded to include
additional protections for preserving rural town heritage and character.

"Design Guidlines for the Merritt Parkway", Connecticut DOT

Federal Lands Highway Administration (they set the standards for roads on
federal lands, including the many parkways and roads within National
Historic Sites and National Parks.)  See "Saving Historic Roads"
bibliography for contact info.

Good luck with your topic.  Those of us fighting the "road gang" in the
ditches, culverts and overpasses would love to see your report when it is
completed.

Michael Lynch, P.E., R.A.


-----Original Message-----
From: Rebecca Coleen Retzlaff <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, October 17, 1998 10:03 PM
Subject: New to the list


>Hi everyone-
>
>I have just joined this list, and have been told that I should introduce
myself.
>I am a historic preservation student with a background in urban planning.
I
>will be graduating in May, so I am starting to work on my thesis.
>
>I have decided that my thesis topic will discuss the preservation of
histoic
>roads.  I would like to focus on road designs that preserve the signficant
>historic qualities while meeting modern highway saftey standards.
>
>I would also like to discuss local regulations that protect historic roads.
>I have found a few scenic road preservation ordinances, but not too many
>that focus specifically on historic roads.
>
>Any suggestions or advice?
>
>Becki Retzlaff