Summer 1996
Vol. 60· No. 1

Federal Aid Road Act of 1916: Building the Foundation

by Richard F. Weingroff

The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 established the federal-aid highway program that transformed America's roads from alternately dusty and muddy trails to the most advanced and comprehensive road network in the world.

From 1916 to 1939: The Federal-State Partnership at Work
by Richard F. Weingroff
The period following World War I and through the 1920s was a golden age for road building, and although the federal-aid highway program felt the impact of the Great Depression in the 1930s, it was during this decade that the master plan for a system of interregional highways was developed.

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956: Creating the Interstate System

by Richard F. Weingroff

This article explains the development of the interstate network from the initial master plan of 1939 to the 1956 act that created the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

Three States Claim First Interstate Highway

by Richard F. Weingroff

Whether Missouri, Kansas, or Pennsylvania should be credited with the first interstate highway depends on how "first" is defined.

Poetry of the Open Road

by Tamara Broberg

Poets have long recognized the parallels between roads and life and have used roads in both the literal and metaphorical senses to express their insights to our culture.

Artists Look at Roads

by Richard F. Weingroff

Art, as well as movies and poetry, is another form of cultural expression that "captures" the omnipresence of roads in our surroundings.

Local Government Highway Finance Trends, 1984-1993

by Leonard S. Goldberg

This article gives a brief historical overview of local government highway finance trends from 1921 to 1983, takes a closer look at the data from 1984 to 1993, and illustrates the important role played by local governments in the arena of public sector highway financing.

Engineering Marvels

by Richard F. Weingroff

The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways has been called one of the "Seven Wonders of the United States." This article discusses a few of the extraordinary sections of the system.

Atlanta to Showcase ITS Traveler Information

by David F. Williams

The Traveler Information Showcase in Atlanta this summer is a $14 million partnership of federal, state, and local agencies and the private sector to provide the most complex, integrated transportation management and travel information system in the United States.

Condition and Performance of the Interstate System - After 40 Years

by Clifford M. Comeau

The interstate system has been incredibly successful. Consequently, the reliability of the system and the preservation of its physical assets are key policy and programmatic concerns for the entire transportation community.

Road Movies

by Richard F. Weingroff

Roads are so much a part of our lives that it is natural that automobiles and highways have played significant roles in hundreds of movies. This is a partial listing of films in which highway travel plays a prominent part.