xt7tdz032h0p https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7tdz032h0p/data/mets.xml Federal Works Agency, Bureau of Community Facilities  Federal Works Agency, Bureau of Community Facilities 1947 volumes: illustrations 24 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call Number: FW 7.7:1947 books  English Washington, D.C.: Federal Works Agency, Bureau of Community Facilities, 1945-[1947]  This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Works Progress Administration Administrative Publications United States-- Bureau of Community Facilities -- Periodicals Public works--United States -- States -- Finance -- Periodicals Public works--United States -- States -- Statistics -- Periodicals Report on Plan Preparation of State and Local Public Works, 1947 text Report on Plan Preparation of State and Local Public Works, 1947 1947 1947 2020 true xt7tdz032h0p section xt7tdz032h0p Wfiffw‘vflfijwllgn

PUBLICATIONS
' COLLECTION

.E" Fl‘

mi. Lifiz‘afies REPORT
‘ ‘ ' ON

PLAN PREPARATION OF STATE

AND LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS

EEDERAL WORKS AGENCY; V
’ 7- BUREAU OF COMMUNITY FACILlTIES: 2-;

Detemwr 3|,- 1947

 

  

FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
BUREAU OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES

REPORT

ON

PLAN PREPARATION OF STATE

AND LOCAL PUBLIC,WORKS

DECEMBER 31, I947

WASHINGTON, D. c.
MARCH ms

 

   
 

' '4w-.~1,..,.. x_‘..,;..,..‘.-w;,: mm,” ,~ W, w

 

 

  

FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
BUREAU OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES

WASHINGTON 25

Imjor General Philip B. Fleming
Administrator ‘
Federal Works Agency
Washington, D. C.

My dear General Fleming:

On behalf of the Bureau of Community Facilities, I
submit herewith the fourth report on the Advance Planning Program
operated under Title V of the War Mobilization and Reconversion
Act of 1944. This report covers the period from the inception of'
the program through December 31, 1947, and gives a comprehensive
View of the current status of the planning of State and local
public works, including planning carried on without Federal aid.

The Advance Planning Program of the Bureau of Community
Facilities was set up in May 1945 to promote and assist.in the '
creation of an adequate reserve of non—Federal public works,
ready to be placed under construction as economic conditions
warrant. With the ending on June 30, 1947, of the authority to
make further advances for the planning of new projects, the
Bureau is now concentrating on the completion of plans for
approximately two billion dollars of State and local public

works.

I am sometimes asked: "Why, if this large volume of
works is being planned, is there any need for more Federal
stimulation cf planning?" We who have worked with the program
know that the answer is simply this: The public works reserve
created under the Advance Planning Program is a live reserve-~made
up of projects which the cormmmities need and intend to construct
within the next few years. We know this to be the case because,
in reviewing applications for planning advances, the Bureau at all

imes has emphasized the need of the applicant for the public
work, and its intention and financial ability to proceed with

construction within a reasonable period of time after planning has ;'

" been completed.

  

   
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   

1 The types of public works for which planning advances
have been approved are those which are most needed by our
communities. While they are of practically every kind (housing
excepted), sewer, water and sanitation facilities predominate,
with schools and other educational facilities ranking next in
volume. These two major types, essential to the expansion of
housing and industrial construction, account for more than
two—thirds of all projects for which planning advances have been
approved. We know that the State and local governments can
finance these and the other projects approved for advances ‘ 9
because the Bureau consistently refused to approve applications :3
where the applicant was not able to demonstrate ability to ‘
finance the construction of the proposed project.

.-«._, _.r< a v 4,, . , new .h ‘92:" 515-14;

Thus, we have every reason to believe that the
planning on the great bulk of these projects will have been 2
. completed by the end of 1948, and that an increasingly large "at
number of them will go under construction in 1948. As these '°
projects go under construction, additional planning will be
necessary to replenish the reserve.

I am particularly pleased that the Bureau of Community 1
Facilities has been able through this program to stimulate _ ‘ ;
a - advance planning by many smaller cities and towns—~those with 9
1. populations of less than 50,000——cities and towns which up to the

» time of the creation of the Advance Planning Program had been c;
able to do very little in this field. fl

4’; .

. Also, I am happy to be able to say that the program has
helped in fostering the idea of over-all city and town planning. .
This was accomplished under a provision in the authorizing ,i
legislation which provides that no application for the advance ‘ ‘
planning of a Specific project can be approved unless the work to
be prosecuted conforms to an over—all State, local or regional
plan wherever such plan exiSts and is approved by competent
authority.

2 The response of State and local governments to the 4
w ‘ Advance Planning Program shows, perhaps more clearly than any
’ ‘ other sign we have, that the program has been useful and

practicable.' The Bureau has always had a volume of applications 1
far in excess of the money available for approvals. For example, ‘

4v - * as of June 30,1947, when the authority to make advances for new

‘_ ”f ' projects ended, all available funds had been committed and there

” were still under review about 2,300 applications for advances in

the amount of 33 million dollars.

   

 

It is sometimes asked why the State and local
governments cannot be relied upon to go ahead on their own and
blueprint in sufficient volume. This matter is dealt with in
several parts of this report; here, I will only say that for
various reasons they have not done so in the past, and our
surveys indicate that there is little hope they will do so in the
foreseeable future. ~

For all the above reasons, some i‘orm of Federal
stimulation for the advance planning of State and local public
works should receive consideration in 1948. Good spade work has
been accomplished under the Advance Planning Program. But, as I ‘
have indicated, the problem is a continuing one and should be
treated on a continuing basis.

Bills are now being considered by the Congress which

vwould authorize an annual appropriation to place advance

blueprinting of State and local public works on a more or less
permanent basis. The program has the support of the American
Municipal Association, the American Public Works Association,
leading groups of the construction industry, including the
American Society of Civil Engineers, the Associated General \
Contractors of America, and the American Institute of Architects,
and numerous other business and professional societies.' The
President recently requested such action, both in his Budget
Message and in his Economic Report to the Congress. I am'
therefore hopeful that legislation will be enacted in 1948 which“
will make it possible to deal with the matter in a suitable

manner.

Sincerely yours,

Georg H. Field

Commissioner

 

 

  
    
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
   

FEDERAL wcaxs AGENCY ’
BUREAU OF commmr FACILITIES

.REPGZT ON PLAN PREPARATION OF STATE AND HEAL PUBLIC WGIKS
AS OF DECEHBER 31, 1947

CONTENTS

utter of Tmnmitml O.IOIOOOOUOIOQIO...OO.CIICOOVOOOCCOOOCOCCO...
Foreword am Swan 0.30.0000...0......OIICIOOOOI\.O‘II'DIQOOOCCCO.

Section I 00.0.0...O....0..0OQ09..O.I.OOIOCOCOCOOOOOOIOCOOIOCCOC..

State and Local Planning Activities Under the Bureau of '

Community Facilities Program of Planning, Advances.

Intrwuction .OOOOOIOOOCOIO0......OOICIOOOOOIOOOCOO
Legislation and Administration ....................
Basic Statistics of the Program ...................
Accomplishments of the Program ....................

Section II 0..OIOII...OOOIOOOOODIOOIIOI0.0..OIOISOOOOOOOCOOOIOOIOU
Proposed State and Local Public Works Receiving no
. Federal Assistance in Plan Preparation.
General .OUOOOOUIIOIOOQO00.000.00.00...IOOOOOOOCOOOCOOOOCOOOOC
Govermental Units Reportixg no Plans in the Canpleted or
DeSign Sue. .OOOOCOIOCIOOCIOOOOOCOCOOIOOIOOOIOOOOCOOIOOOOOO
Projects -in the Completed Stage of Plan Preparation .........

Projects; in the Design Stage of Plan Preparation ............

,Section III 0....I.0.0.0.0...IIOOCOOOOI'.OIOOOOODOOO.I...IOCOUOCCC

Volume and Status of Plan Preparation for Proposed
_ Federal-Aid and State Highway Projects.

Mbered Tables .0000....0....40....O....0.IOOOOOIOOCOOCCCIOOUOOIQ

Imex 0......C..‘...Q............OOOCOO.IOOOOUCOCOOCOOOCOOOIO.

State and Local Flaming Activities Under the Bureau of
Community Facilities Program of Flaming Advances ......'....
Proposed State and Local Public Works Receiving no Federal

Asaistance in Plan newts-on '0'.IOOIOOIOIIICQ‘OUOOCIIOOIOCI

Exhibits
Schedule of Distribution of hands Appropriated for Advance

Planning nonsense-soscosoo-osssusesis-cos.oscsstssooeoooooo'.~

BCF Fern 3 - Application for Advance for Plan Preparation
, ‘for Non‘Federal P1113113 Works oeoooeoosooo-ooss
BCF Form 7 - Report of Non-Federal Public Works Plan
' Preparation for which no Federal hands are
V Hovidw II.00.020....0.000000‘COOOOOO~OOOCOOOO
BCF Form 7a - Outline for Preparation of RIF Form 7 . . . . . . . . .

Page.

1-8
9-26

10-11
11-25
25-26

27-36
27-28
28-33
34-36
37-38

40-69"

39

40—57
.58 -69"

 

   

  

 

  

Foreword and Summagy

This report contains'the latest available data on the
plan preparation of State and local public works. It is in three
sections, the first of which deals with plan preparation where
assistance has been given by Federal advances through the Advance
Planning Program of the Bureau of Community Facilities; the
second section deals with the plan preparation by State and local
governments without Federal assistance; and the third section
deals with the plan preparation of proposed Federal-aid and State
highway projects. Data from each section are brought together in
Table A at the end of this Foreword and Summary.

Together the three categories just outlined above
comprise the entire field of plan preparation of non-Federal
public works. The first and third of these categories are fully'
covered by the data given here. The second category, that of
State and local plan preparations not receiving any Federal
assistance, has been covered by a continuing survey, and the data
here presented, while covering the great majority of the larger-
State and local governmental units, are not entirely complete for
all governmental units.

However, the data in this report, taken all together,
_afford the best available basis for forming judgments in this’
important field. -Is there an adequate amount of plan preparation
to take care of the State and local public works needs of the
next few years? As the existing reserve of planned projects is
placed under construction, will enough planning go on in the nextr
several years to replenish and strengthen the reserve? On the

‘basis of available data, the answer in both cases appears to be

in the negative.

It is true, of course, that substantial progress has
been made in the last several years in encouraging State and‘
local governments to blueprint their public works well in advance
of construction. . , ’

‘The chief impetus has come from the Advance Planning
Program, authorized by Title V of the war mobilization and
ReconversiOn Act of 1944, and set up in May 1945 in the Federal
Works Agency under the Bureau of Community Facilities.v Thisr
program was specifically set up with the aim of encouraging State
and local g0vernments to blueprint their public work projects
well in advance of construction. It was based on the recagnition
that, in addition to other benefits to be derived from this
procedure, the existence of a large volume of State and local
public works, ready fOr construction, would be of great help in
stabilizing the construction industry. ‘

 

  

   
  
   
 

 

 

 

   

There had not been a sufficient amount of advance
blueprinting of State and local public works in the past because
funds for blueprinting were seldom available prior to sale of the
bond issue to cover the entire cost of the project, and
localities hesitated to incur such a debt until it had been
determined to push construction as fast as possible. Federal
assistance was therefore offered in the form of repayable
planning advances to State and local governments.

Congress has thus far appropriated a total of
$65,000, 000 for this program and good progress has been made.
Planning advances in the amount of 360, 248, 000 have been
approved for the planning of 7, 203 State and local public works
projects estimated to cost about 32.4 billion. Plans had been
completed, by the close of 1947, for 3,099 of these projects,
involving advances of 314,107, 000 and having an estimated total
cost of $683 million. Of these fully planned projects, 491
projects, having an estimated total cost of 3110 million, had
been placed under construction and the planning funds advanced,
31, 752, 450, had been returned to the Bureau and covered into the
United States Treasury.

e
But these figures tell only part of the story.
Included in the 3, 933 governmental units that have joined in
planning under the program are many smaller cities and towns,
those with population of less than 50, 000. These smaller cities
and towns, up to the time of the creation of the Advance Planning
Program, had been able to do very little in this field.

The program has been helpful in promoting the idea of
over—all city and town planning. This was accomplished under a
provision in the authorizing legislation stating that no
rapplications for the advance planning of a specific project can
be approved unless the work to be prosecuted conforms to an
overuall State, local or regional plan wherever such plan exists
*and is approved by a competent authority.

The program has also helped in encouraging State and
local governments to give advance consideration to the problem of
financing the construction of their public works. The Bureau has
consistently refused to approve applications where the applicant
has not been able to demonstrate ability to finance the
. construction of the proposed project. Furthermore, no application
for a planning advance for a building or other major architectural
structure was approved until the site had been selected.

 

 
  
 
 
  
   
  
 
 
  
  
 
  

  

 .V . 1.1,. 1, ~..-...,-—

 

 

Indications are that during 1948 the great bulk of the
plans for which advances have been made will be completed.
Primary consideration in approving planning advances wa.s given to
projects for which there was the greatest need, notably to the

_ types of public works necessary to supplement housing and '

industrial construction. Two major types of projects, sewer,
water and sanitation facilities, and schools and other
educational facilities, account for more than tWOmthirds of all
projects for which planning advances have been approved. It is
reasonable to suppose that many of these vitally needed projects
will go under construction in 1948 and early 1949.

This is as it should be. But, to the extent that such
planned public works are placed under construction they are
withdrawn from the reserve. This strongly emphasizes the need
for more planning, not only to create a reserve of State and
local public works, but to replenish it as it is drawn upon by‘
construction, and to maintain it in adequate volume as a
continuing reserve.

However, the provisions of the War mobilization and
Reconversion Act of 1944 terminated June 30, 1947, and there is
at present no authority for the making of further advances for
the planning of additional projects. This poses a serious
problem because State and local construction could eat up the
reserve which is being stimulated under Title V in less than a

. year. In the absence of further Federal encouragement, the

reserve will have to be built up and replenished by State and
local governments acting entirely on their own initiative.

Unfortunately, on the basis of the record so far,
there is little hope that State and local governments will plan
ahead in sufficient volume without some Federal stimulation and
help. They did not do so before World War II. During the war,

‘a considerable volume of planning was started; However, only a

fraction of this got beyond the preliminary stage, and a much
smaller part ever reached the completed stage.

Since 1945, the Bureau “5 been conducting a
continuing survey of the planning activities of State and local
governments that have been going en without Federal aid.. The
latest figures available are as of June 30, 1947, and throw
considerable light on the question of the volume and adequacy of
such plan preparation; As of that data, plan preparations
completed without Federal aid covered proposed State and local
public works with an estimated total cost of $1.4 billion. This
volume is not only inadequate, but constitutes a drop of 10 per
cent from the volume reported for December 1946; Furthermore,
this planning is not spread evenly over the nation, but is highly
concentrated in a few States.y ,

9—6292.

 

 _26z9‘d

     

 

Table A ‘

Estimated Construction Cost of Proposed Public Works
of State and Local Governments, by State
As of December 31, 1907
(In 1000's of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

Plans Being Completed Plans Completefiior Brougflt Plans 0080? Feieral—Aid
Under Title V to Design stage Without and State Highway ‘
WMRA — 1900 FedereloAssistanoe Program (1&0)
Completed Other Completed Design Completed Design
Stage Stages Stage Stage Stage Stage
United States #580,126 81,037,036 91,203,520 $3,907,930 $822,670 ‘22,600,509
Alabama 21,201 19,001 10,191 4‘ 20,205 0,720 35,668
Arizona 10,520 2,966 6,708 10,827 6,266 21,198
Arkansas 9,769 113537 2:226 3,935 15,139 18,253
California ’ 20,757 53,372 120,158 399,692 51,993 206,523
Colorado 2,669 7 18,637 3,322 62,089 8,599 29,200
Connecticut 0,113 22,009 12,297 8,627 8,108 60,975
Delaware 713 8,129 518 2,876 2,068 10,680
Florida , , 23,016 22,212 26,966 19,322 1,020 _ 8,520
Georgia 23,129 25,191 8,509 6,515 18,511 60,272
Idaho 1,507 6,270 0,292 2,660 17,069 01,896
Illinois , 02,990 109,123 67,007 702,692 23,678 221,573
' Indiana 29,295 253398 00,866 69,900 10,016 81,736
Iowa 6,978 . 19,282 32,803 , 57,032 8,285 00,609
Kansas , 8:983 173302 7,270 139670 302035 ,073908
Kentucky . 7,505 27,152 5,355 12,538 978 33,519

Continued on next page

 

 

Z6Z9-d

Louisiana 1 ,3 _$ 19,999 8 13,935 8 15,187 ‘8 29,070 8 18,219

7 ~ 8 16,211
‘Maine ' 1,032 * 8,759 1,133 ' 6,310 12,080 13,096
Maryland . , . 5,673 , ,23,072 12,668 61,215 13,257 85,088
Massachusetts " 9,680 ’ 37,022 1 02,500 709,051 7,958 33,390
Michigan , ' . 18,780 69,962 125,202 , 257,659 18,552 95,008
Minnesota ~ 6,863 727,353 23 ,676 02,851 32,571 59,318
MisSissippi \ 16,751 13,160 6,369 11,081 0,181 31,009
Missouri' 25,890 ’ 00,398 13,970 50,336 29,072 30,107
Montana _ 3,295 ‘ 5,399 2,388 7,808 6,802 26,595
Nebraska ‘ 3,516 10,330 10,370 10,613 3,382 29,202 0
Nevada 2,859 « 5,091 ' 2,300 3,507 1,908 - 10,150
New Hampshire '* 3,033 0,835 1,580 - 2,659 10,835
New Jersey ‘ 16,611 7 51,098 21,767 213,023 25,560 110,029
New Mexico , 5,088 ,5,811 2,735 6,035 0,983, 22,761
NeW'Yonk '. ' , ' 0,600 5 101,056 ‘ 279,627 628,072 108,000 330,000
North Carolina _ 15,060 ‘ 33,100 7 11,520 20,733 5,290 03,090
North Dakota 1,970 7,599 2,822 , 5,206 ‘ 13,903 8,072
Ohio ‘ 2159M 75 3329 51132113 259 91L69 23,208 . 799371
Oklahoma , 18,802 13,992 ‘ 8,138_ 18,209 2,385 7,202
Orégon ‘ 3:965 ' 79899 720511 373863 0 1143706 H 16,303
Pennsylvania ,, 8,058 - 181,632 72,113 025,812 95,120 189,809
Rhode Island ’ 2,183 7 6,105 1,193 205 2,090 9,012
South Carolina 17,065 4. 11,003 2,328 5,600 6,000 22,000
South Dakota ‘ 927 , 1,193 0,962 7,550 6,277 . 21,636

Tennessee ” ,_15,385 , ' 23,330 13,705 / ' 12,708 7,521 05,079

/

Concluded on next page

  

 

 

 

TBxas
Utah‘
-Vermont
Virginia
'Washington

wast Virginia
Wisconsin

'Wyoming

District of Columbia

Alaska
Hawaii
Puerto Rico

73,1ho
6,168
2,870
68 ,88h
57,302

9,313
20,99h
2,332
7,683

2,763
35,929
h7,81h

 

 

 

 

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Section 1 '

State and Local PlanningAActivities Under the Bureau of
Community Facilities Program of Planning Advances

' Introduction

The Advance Planning Program, authorized by Title V of
the War mobilization and Reconversion Act of 1944 was set up in
May 1945 in the Federal Works Agency under the Bureau of
Community Facilities. The primary purpose was to encourage
State and local governments to blueprint their public works
projects well in advance of construction. It was recognized
that, in addition to the many other benefits to be derived from
this procedure, and mentioned later in this section, the
existence of a large volume of State and local public works,
ready for construction, would be of great help in stabilizing
the construction industry.

Lack of a sufficient amount of advance blueprinting of
State and local public works in the past, and this lack was to
have grave consequences in the early 1930's, sprang primarily
from the traditional methods of financing such projects. Funds
for blueprinting were seldom available prior to sale of the bond
issue to cover the entire cost of the project, and localities
naturally hesitated to incur such a debt until it had been
determined to push construction as fast as possible. Federal
assistance was therefore offered through this program in the
form of repayable planning advances to State and local
governments.

The program was inaugurated in May 1945. From the
inception of the program through June 1947, advances to State
and local governments were approved for the planning of public
works with an estimated total cost of about $2.4 billion. At
the end of June 1947 the wartime legislation authorizing the

7 approving of advances expired; no new projects have therefore

been approved since that date. Since June 30th, the Bureau has
been concentrating on encouraging State and local governments to
speed up the completion of plans for which advances have been
approved, and reviewing completed plans to insure that the
projects are ready for construction.

P-6292

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legislation and édministration

 

A review of the principal legislative provisions and
administrative regulations pertaining to the Advance Planning
Program will be of help in understanding the work accomplished
thus far. Title V of the war mobilization and Reconversion Act of
1944 authorized the Federal'flbrks Agency to make advances of
Federal funds to State and local public bodies to assist them in
financing the advance planning of their public works exclusive of
housing, such advances to be repaid to the United States Treasury,
without interest, as construction is started on the public works
so planned. The legislation Specifically states that the granting
of a planning advance is in no way to be construed as creating an
obligation on the part of the Federal Government to help in
financing the construction of a project.

A total of $65,000,000 has been appropriated for this
program: $17,500,000 in May 1945, $12,500,000 in December 1945,
and $35,000,000 in June 1946. The authorizing legislation provided
for the apportionment of funds among the States as follows: 90 per
cent in the proportion which the population of each State bears to
the population of all the States as shown by the latest available
Federal census, and 10 per cent according to the discretion of the
Federal Works Administrator; provided that no State apportionment
shall be less than one—half of l per cent of the funds available
for apportionment. The term State here includes the District of
Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The State apportionments
made under this formula are shown in a special table at the back of
this report. ,

To bring about a broad and equitable distribution of
planning advances within States (especially to«assure the smaller
towns an.opportunity of participating in the program) preliminary
quotas within each State were set up by the Bureau for counties and
groups of counties in accordance with the population of their
largest cities and for the State government and agencies serving the

-entire State. These quotas were adjusted from time to time to make

the best possible allocation of funds in accordance with the actual
needs for planning advances within particular States. '

. , Any non—Federal public agency which had legal authority to
construct public works might apply for planning advances for

,specific public works. After the approval of an application for a
‘planndng advance, an agreement was executed between the Bureau and

the applicant. The latter agreed to complete the plan preparation
and to repay the advance, without interest, at such time as the
specific work so planned came to be placed under construction. The
Federal.planning advance is paid in two installments, an initial

’payment of half the approved advance being made when the agreement ‘
is executed, and the final payment being made upon completion of the

plans and determination of their final costs. A great many final
payments will be made during 1948 as it is demonstrated that plans

‘ have been fully completed for the various projects.

/

P-_6292

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advances. Planning advances for housing projects were
specifically excluded by the authorizing legislation. Also
planning advances were not made for Federal-aid highway projects
(of the Public Roads Administration and the State highway
departments) for which other Federal funds for planning were
available. All other non—Federal public works that the
applicant expected to construct witliin four years were eligible
for planning advances under the Bureau's program. These
included: thighways, roads and streets; bridges, viaducts and
grade separations; airports; sewer, water and sanitation
facilities; schools and other educational facilities, hospitals
and health facilities; other public buildings; parks and other
recreational facilities; and miscellaneous facilities.

Planning for which advances were made included the cast

of drawings and specifications and such other costs as are
directly connected with the blueprinting of a specific public
work but not any costs connected with overvall planning.

However, any public work for which an advance was sought under
this program had to conform to an over—all State, local or
regional plan wherever any such plan or plans exist; where no
legally authorized planning authority exists, a public work to be
planned must be apprOVed by local authority having jurisdiction
over public works of that specific type.

Basic Statistics of the Advance PlanningiProgram

The basic statistical information concerning operations
of the Advance Planning Program will be analyzed under this ‘
heading; the data shown herein are supplemented by more detailed
statistics in tables at the back of this report. A total of
860, 248,000 has been approved for planning advances; all of these

,advances were approved prior to July‘l, 1947.

It is significant that as of December 1947 there
remained in the Bureau's file 2,272 applications for planning

radvances amounting to $31,457,000, none of which could be

approved becauSe of the termination of authorizing legislation.

The status of applications filed with the Bureau since
the inception of the program is shown in Table A, which follows.

 

Almost all types of projects were eligible for planning

     

!

  

      
  
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

 

 

 

 

 

Table A

Analysis of Applications for Planning Advances Filed
Status as of December 31, 1947
Estimated Total

 

 

 

Applications Cost of Proposed
Number Amount Public Works
Applications Filed 11,217 .3113,228,798 $3,955,8161000
Applications Approved 7,203 60,247, 525 2,398,186,000
Applications Disapproved
or withdrawn 1,742 21,524,452 _ 499,164,000
Applications on File
and not Approved
due to Expiration
of Authority 2,272 31,456,821 1,058,466,000

 

The rise in the volume of approvals as compared with
funds available for apportionment and with total applications
approved or under review is shown on the chart on page 13 for the
two—year period of active operation of the Advance Planning
Program. It will be seen from the chart that there was a steady
rise in the cumulative volume of approvals. This rise tended to
slow down when funds available for apportionments became
temporarily depleted as in the second quarter of 1946. At all
times there was a large volume of applications in excess of money
available. The chart shows that by June 30, 1947, nearly all of
the funds available for apportionment had been committed for
planning advances.

 

  

Millions of Dollars

5'1 ‘6‘ fi 8‘

June 23
June 30
July 31
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As stated earlier, the estimated total Cost of public .
works for which planning advances have been approved amounts to
over 32.4 billion. A breakdown of this total, by item of cost, is
shown in Table B.

 

Table B

Estimated Cost of Proposed Public Works for Which Applications
for Planning Advances Have Been Approved, by Item of
Cost, Through December 31, 1947
(In 1000's of Dollars)

 

 

Estimated Percent

Item-of Cost Total Cost Distribution
Total §2,' 298,186 _1_9_g_._o
Land and Rights—of—Way 70,730 3.0
Construction 2,021,162 84.3
Equipment - ‘ 134,957 5.6
Plan Preparation , 77,119 I 3.2
b Other ' 94,2ls . 3.9

 

Primary consideration in approving planning advances was
given to projects for which there was the greatest need, notably
to the types of public works necessary to-supplement housing and
industrial construction. This is why such public works.as sewer,
water and sanitation facilities, and schools and other educational
facilities figure so prominently among the projects for which
Federal planning aid was granted. This can be seen from Table C,
on page 16. '

, Applicants were asked to furnish information showing
prima facie.evidence of their ability to finance the construction

' of the proposed public works for which they were seeking a

planning advance. The proposed methods of financing the
construction of projects for which planning advances were approved

vis shown by major sources of funds in Table D, on page 17; Bond

issues, both authorized and anticipated, will be used to cover
three-quarters of the estimated total cost of such projects.

/ _

P-6292

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 0

Number of Projects and Estimated Cost of Proposed Public works for
Which ApplicatiOns Have Been Approved, by iype of Project,
Through December 31, 19h?

(In 1000's of Dollars)

Type of Project

Total

Highways, Roads and Streets

Bridges, Viaducts and Grade Separations
Airports, Terminals and Landing Strips
Sewer, Water and Sanitation Facilities
Schools and Other Educational Facilities
Hospitals and Health Facilities

Public Buildings Other Than (5) and (6)
Parks and Other Recreational Facilities
-All Other Public Facilities (NEG)

Est. Total Cost of

Applications Approved Proposed Public works

 

 

Percent
Number Distribution Amount

100.0 32,32§3186

75,813
7h,576
35,23h
1,03h,989
592,699
135,20h
231,b76
68 ,869
1u9,326

Percent
Distribution

 

 

 

  

 

Table D

method of Financing Proposed Public Works for Which
Applications Have Been Approved, by Source of

Funds, as of December 31, 1947
(In 1000's of Doll