MTLRS085.xml Guide to the Montana Department of Transportation, Highway Planning Survey Records 1933-1963 Montana Department of Transportation, Highway Planning Survey records Finding aid prepared by MTHS Staff; Updated by Lindsey Mick Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Montana Historical Society 2004; 2024 Finding aid encoded by Ellie Arguimbau with assistance by Cuadra Associates; Updated by Lindsey Mick2004;2024 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition) Montana Historical Society Archives RS 85_RS 492 Montana. Department of Transportation. Highway Planning Survey Montana Department of Transportation, Highway Planning Survey records 1933-1963 0.5 linear feet This collection is a sub-subgroup (Bureau) of the Montana Department of Transportation records, RS 492. The Highway Planning Survey, which became the Planning and Research Bureau following the Executive Reorganization of 1971, formerly operated under the Engineering Division. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Transportation records. These Montana Highway Planning Survey records (1933-1963) consist of general correspondence, arranged by subject; subject files; and miscellany. (Maps and printed material transferred to Library.) 20:1-2 English

The Planning Survey of the State Highway Commission was established in 1936, jointly financed by the state and the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads. Also known as the Planning Survey Division, it was charged with developing any and all types of data that would be beneficial for highway planning. In order to fulfill that responsibility the Division was structured into three principal sections: Traffic, Mapping, and Statistics. The Traffic Section was given the responsibility of collecting data concerning the movement of motor vehicles on state highways, county roads, and city streets. The data was collected by means of both permanent and portable counters, as well as by visual counts and classifications. In addition to traffic counting, the Traffic Division was given a number of other functions including the weighing of trucks to obtain statistical information; the reporting of the number of accidents by location, type of accident, and economic cost; special urban transportation surveys for cities; origin destination surveys; and parking surveys.

The Mapping Section was to prepare state highway maps, county maps, and city plats. The Mapping Section was also to collect data concerning county roads and to maintain a continuing inventory of all such roads in each county, including the type of surface of each road as well as mileages. The Mapping Section also performed special drafting of charts, graphs, and special exhibits. The Statistical Section was responsible for the compilation and reporting of a variety of financial and statistical data pertaining to highways, roads, and streets throughout Montana. These data were reported in published format and were also included in the summaries prepared by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads for all states.

The name of the Montana Highway Planning Survey was changed in 1966 to the Planning Survey Section, and, in 1971 following the statewide reorganization, became the Planning and Research Bureau under the new Department of Highways (later Department of Transportation). This bureau is now defunct.

These records consist of general correspondence (1935-1963) arranged alphabetically by subject; printed material (1938-1939); subject files (1936-1945), arranged alphabetically; and miscellany. Maps and printed material have been transferred to the Library Map Collection and Library respectivelly.

The collection is arranged by series.

Collection open for research.

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Library & Archives does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Transportation were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 492, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from Montana Department of Transportation's various Divisions and Bureaus that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 492. Rather than reprocessing over 300 linear feet of Transportation materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links through the central finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

Acquisition information is available upon request.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.

Highway planning--Montana Road surveying--Montana Transportation Montana Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

General correspondence 1 / 1 Administration BPR (re Bureau of Public Roads) 1955 1 / 2 Economic analysis 1961-1963 1 / 3 Traffic 1944-1963 1 / 4 Traffic: signs 1935-1941 1 / 5 Miscellaneous 1936-1944 Maps and printed material 1 / 6 Public Roads; list of maps and printed material transferred to Library Map collection and Library respectively undated Subject files 1 / 7 Key stations and blanket count stations 1938-1939 1 / 8 Manuals of instruction 1936 1 / 9 Method of expansion of Montana traffic data; Montana Highway Planning survey 1938-1939 1 / 10 Traffic general - primary system; traffic general- secondary 1940-1945 1 / 11 Truck and bus: general 1936 1 / 12 Truck and bus: blanket count (part III) 1936 1 / 13 Truck and bus: key count (part IV) 1936 1 / 14 Truck and bus: loadometer stations (part V) 1936 1 / 15 Truck and bus: pit scale stations (part VI) 1936 Miscellany 1 / 16 Blank forms 1936-1937, undated 1 / 17 Contracts let in 1932 and uncompleted on Mar. 30, 1933 1933 1 / 18 Montana Highway Employees' Benefit Association bylaws undated 1 / 19 Portable counter plans; Folsom portable counter diagram 1941 1 / 20 Traffic at state entrances: traffic profiles and maximum load study (US 310, US 10A, Park Cutoff) 1940 1 / 21 Traffic station locations 1953 1 / 22 Weighing station reports (includes blank forms) 1952-1960 1 / 23 Western Association of State Highway Officials uniform code 1938