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South Dakota's Rural Roads, Charles E. Lamberton

Economics Research Reports

The rural transportation system consists of a combination of modern, heavy farm machinery, trucks, and personal vehicles driven over earth, gravel and bituminous roads. These roads were often originally designed for use by horse and wagon. The evolution of transportation and agricultural technologies has changed the demands upon the road system and caused this mismatch between original road design and modern vehicles and equipment. Increased farm production and decreased farm numbers are reflected in fewer rural residents who make more trips and carry heavier loads. While the decline in the number of rural residents implies that fewer miles of rural …