Ready for the 21st Century: Where We Are Now

Throughout its history, the FHWA has met the ongoing challenge of adapting to changing times. With the Interstate System essentially complete, our focus has turned toward the post-Interstate era. Through the landmark Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and its 1998 successor, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), our emphasis has been updated to meet the demands of an increasingly urban, mobile, diverse, and prosperous society.

In addition to preserving the taxpayers' investment in the Interstate System, the FHWA is working with its partners in the state transportation departments to improve the larger National Highway System (NHS) of 160,000 miles. NHS includes the Interstate System and other roads of national importance, such as roads needed for national defense and highway connectors to intermodal facilities. The Federal-Aid Highway Program, begun in 1916, operates today with a budget of nearly $30 billion a year and is linked closely to the federal transit program. Our varied funding programs include financial aid for bridges, roadways, scenic byways, and historic transportation facilities. Now state and local officials can select the best mix of projects to address their unique transportation challenges.

We also continue our historic role, dating to the 1910s, of helping federal land management agencies and tribal governments develop, preserve, and improve transportation access to federal lands. The Federal Lands Highway Program, funded at more than $700 million a year, provides planning, design, and construction support for forest highways, parkways, park roads, Indian reservation roads, refuge roads, and other federal roads. In addition, FHWA provides emergency relief funds to help communities devastated by floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. When the need is greatest, FHWA is there, working with state and local officials to restore transportation services. Another important function is implementing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS uses advanced traffic operations, communications, vehicle detection, and camera technologies to provide real-time travel information. ITS will continue to expand and provide solutions to many of the challenges of the 21st century.

• Federal Lands Highway Program
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• National Highway System
• The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century