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UN.TED STATE -ENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548
CIVIL DIVISION2
Dear Mr. Turner:
The General Accounting Office has reviewed the Federal Highway
Administration's (FHWA) research program of experimental emergency
communication systems to assist stranded or disabled motorists and
improve safety on Federal-aid highways, which includes the Inter-
state System. The program provides for the installation, at selected
locations on these highways, of various types of communication systems
which will allow stranded motorists to communicate a need for service.
The objective of the program is to test and compare the uses and
benefits of the various systems and subsequently establish criteria
to assist States in the selection, evaluation, and approval of future
emergency communication systems. FHWA anticipates that such criteria
would apply to type, design, construction, and operation of the systems,
FHWA's policy calls for the Governmrnt to bear at least 90 percent
of the c.ses for a State to construct adc install usergency communi-
cation systems on the Interstate System and at least 50 percent of the
costs to evaluate them. As of August 1970, FHWA had sponsored five such
systems under its research puogram at a total Government cost of abouc
$1.1 million of which $1.0 million was for construction and installation
and $.1 million for evaluation studies,
We selected for review three systems installed on sections of the
Interstate System Jocated in Maryland. Michigan, and Texas, Maryland
and Texas installed non-voice push button type call-box systems.
Michigan installed a telephone system. Our review was directed pri-
marily towards ascertaining whether the objectives of the program were
being achieved. We previously reported to the Regional Federal Highway
Administrator, Region 2, by letter dated January 9, 1970, on the extent
of Federal participation in the cost of constructing the emergency com-
municarion system on the Capital Beltway (1-495) in Maryland.
FIWA instructions in effect at the initiation of the research
program in 1965 required that the three States perform an evaluation
study to determine the effectiveness of the sponsored systems. We
noted, however, that FHWA had not issued specific guidelines for
obtaining the information needed to make such a determination.
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