 Our first roads were the cart paths worn along the route of least resistance through our towns. Often, a trip of 25 miles was a day-long journey. If travel was a challenge, so was the task of maintaining and improving these public ways. Since the turn of the century, however, the tools designed for this work have grown steadily more powerful, more time, and cost efficient. But even with our current knowledge of paving theory and with sophisticated equipment to carry it out, there remain many challenges to efficient road maintenance. The people responsible for this task are caught in a bind. Town officials and road superintendents are mandated to keep roads in good condition, but their budgets are tight and getting tighter. They find themselves reacting to the worst road problems as they occur and as the budget allows. With this predicament in mind, another road maintenance tool enters the picture. The Pavement Management System. In the simplest of terms, this system helps you to gather and organize information about your roads and then to analyze that information. These systems can tell you which roads need help first, which ones are getting better, and which are getting worse. You will make better decisions about how, why, and where to spend your money. And the perspective gained helps you to improve your whole road system with available resources. One system, which is being used successfully by over 150 cities and road agencies, is called PAVER. It was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after several years of careful study. PAVER starts with a complete inventory of your roads, both the extent and condition. This information is then entered into your computer and PAVER's analysis helps you with ranking, budgeting, and forecasting. It doesn't require outside consultants and it doesn't require a large database. There's also a system called MicroPAVER for use with microcomputers. It allows road supervisors to use PAVER right in their offices with very little training. Calculations can even be done manually if no computer is available. Since over 75% of the roads in this country are unsurfaced, the Corps of Engineers has also developed a system for the management of these roads. Used in conjunction with PAVER, the unsurfaced roads management system gives you the information you need to track the condition of your unpaved roads. PAVER has proven to be a true money saver. The city of Tampa, Florida began using the system in 1982. Today officials estimate that PAVER saves the city approximately $1 million each year. So PAVER can be counted on to help you get the most for your money. But there are indirect benefits too. A proper road inventory is indispensable. You can manage much better when you have at your fingertips a full and accurate account of your roads. An inventory will also help you to secure state and federal funds. Your road conditions will be documented in objective terms, not in observers' subjective judgments. These objective measurements and records mean that if your road superintendent leaves or is unavailable, your road maintenance program can continue uninterrupted. Your road maintenance plan may be explained and justified to anyone with hard numbers. And you'll be able to develop forecasts of future road conditions based on known deterioration rates and the maintenance alternatives. In the unfortunate event, the town officials are sued because of an accident caused by a road maintenance problem. The courts are less likely to award damages if the town was following a documented road maintenance plan. The investment required to initiate a pavement management system is small relative to your whole road budget. And annual costs after the initial survey include only updating those inventories. Pavement management systems are receiving wide support nationally. The Federal Highway Administration has directed each State Department of Transportation to develop or adopt a statewide pavement management system. The idea is spreading. Many regional planning commissions and counties have already adopted plans. So, when you find yourself in the time and money crunch of too much road to fix and not enough money to do it with, take a serious look at road management. More information is available from Crell. We will send you the latest information on getting started with Paveur and will include a copy of the Unsurfaced Roads Field Manual. There are also videotapes to help road superintendents and their crews get started with the Unsurfaced Roads Management System.