Page:America's Highways 1776–1976.djvu/195

 and values in a form for direct use by designers; clear, simply-worded texts; sound judgment in practical control and guide values; and advice tor flexible, thoughtful applications to produce better designs. As each separate subject was completed, it was adopted and published by AASHO and accepted by BPR for use on Federal-aid highway projects, The first seven subject brochures established the concepts of highway design and were combined into one publication in 1950 entitled Policies on Geometric Highway Design. Subsequent expansions in 1954 and 19bo entitled A Policy on Geometric Design of Rural Highways, popularly known as “The Blue Book,” have been put into use on highway programs of all agencies, including those in foreign countries. A second major work produced by the Committee was A Policy on Arterial Highways in Urban Areas, published in 1957 and known as “The Red Book.” The advent of the Interstate System opened other new areas, and the 1956 Interstate standards were prepared based on the Committee’s earlier work. These policies on highway design matters have been widely accepted by engineers in governmental and private practice.

Between 1941 and 1943, Barnett headed a special BPR design team that rapidly developed contract plans for the main roads, interchanges and highway structures made necessary by the construction of the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia. The roads and bridges around the Pentagon were designed and constructed in less than 2 years This interconnected system of freeways provided flexible connections to the building, the three Potomac River bridges and several Virginia arterials. They served through and local traffic needs well until the steadily increasing traffic volume of the 1960’s overtaxed them.

On February 14, 1950, Barnett was presented the Commerce Department’s Silver Medal Award for outstanding contributions to the development of urban roads, including the design of the Pentagon road network.

After completing this task, Barnett, always a hard worker, was given the responsibility of establishing an Urban Roads Branch to administer highway construction in urban areas under provisions of the 1944 Federal-Aid Highway Act. This was a new, open field inasmuch as most State highway departments only had rural programs. Barnett spearheaded the Federal assistance to establish State urban divisions and to advise them on the planning, location and design of urban expressways and other arterials. In this context, he addressed engineering groups, joined in conferences on specific route problems, prepared papers, and directed the development of design policies and guides.

In his key Federal position, Barnett was also busy at this time developing and applying the principles of controlled access which he had absorbed during his Westchester County experience. The early park- ways demonstrated the multiple advantages of controlled access, not only in the safety and efficiency of traffic operations, but also in the opportunities for developing esthetic facilities well-fitted to their surroundings. Barnett stressed controlled access as a practical tool to relieve urban congestion at a time when rush hour traffic jams were becoming a common city experience.

In 1954 Barnett was assigned broader administrative responsibilities as Assistant Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Engineering. He was sent to Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, to advise that country on the feasibility of a bridge across the Bosporus and an arterial highway system for Istanbul.

In 1961 he was made Deputy Director for Engineering, a principal decisionmaker on Federal-aid policy relating to engineering matters (which included the eligibility of proposed work for Federal-aid funds), the policy application on special problems, and conclusions on specific highway section design features. He received the Gold Medal for Distinguished Federal Service in 1963 from the Department of Commerce. At the request of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), he headed a mission to Japan to study and report on the feasibility of extending the Tokyo Expressway from Haneda to Yokohama. 189