The Interstate Highway System: 60 Years of Perspective

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1 The Interstate Highway System: 60 Years of Perspective Jerry Hall UNM July 13,

2 Ike s 1919 Cross-Country Trip 2

3 Toll Roads and Free Roads, 1939 Plan for a 14,336-mile system 3

4 1939 Cross-section Design 4

5 Designating Interstate Routes FA Highway Act of 1944 Connect cities >50,000 Connect most state capitals 2 lanes if projected ADT < 2000 Original plan - 41,000 mile 1956 cost estimate of $27.5 B No funding mechanism 5

6 Eisenhower s Assessment Governor s Conference, 1954 Obsolete highway penalties Death and injury Detours and traffic jams Highway defect litigation Goods movement Defense, esp. atomic event 6

7 Clay Commission Report 7

8 1956 Breakthrough Plan a pay-as-you-go system Create Highway Trust Fund Tax fuel, vehicles, tires, Incorporate existing toll roads Evaluate RU tax changes Viability in

9 Then and Now Postal rate $0.04 $0.47 CPI DJIA ,900 Population, Hwy fatal rate FA Hwy Act (p) Federal agency BPR FHWA President ID Ike Barack US Debt $270M $18B+ 9

10 Comparable Initiatives Erie Canal, 1824 Transcontinental RR, 1869 Panama Canal, 1914 Jet Air Travel, 1959 Land on Moon Internet,

11 Original Interstate Map,

12 Early Interstate Design 12

13 Entertainment Highlights of 1956 Top Songs Heartbreak hotel, Elvis The wayward wind, Gogi Grant Rock around the clock, Bill Haley Memories are made of this, D Martin Top Television Shows The $64,000 Question I Love Lucy Dragnet The Millionaire 13

14 Learning How to Design (1958) 14

15 15

16 16

17 Partial List of Interstates 17

18 18

19 Popular in 1956 Davey Crockett Hula Hoops Peanuts comic strip 3 TV channels BPR/AASHO/ARBA Marilyn Monroe Drive-in Theatre West Side Story Edward R. Murrow 1956 Chevys w/front bumpers 19

20 Interstate Consequences Improved mobility Dramatically improved safety Often improved environment Economic/Demographic Just-in-time delivery Urban renewal Bypassed cities Congressional earmarks Congestion 20

21 Moses Lake Bakery 21

22 22

23 Thoughts on the Interstate The federal government should get out of the fuel tax since it is a traditional province of the states. Dewitt Greer, TX State Highway Engineer, 1953 The Highway Trust Fund is a large body of money surrounded by people who want some of it. Sen. Pat McNamara (D, MI) 1961 We ll never finish the Interstate. America is growing and the Interstate is a part of that growth and they are partners. Frank Turner 23

24 I-5 at Tangent, OR Central Willamette Valley Named for the 1871 tangent RR I-5 straight from Albany to Coburg, approx 34 miles 24

25 I-80, Utah 25

26 I-17, North of Phoenix 26

27 I-70, Eisenhower/Johnson 27

28 I-70, Glenwood Canyon 28

29 Oregon, I-5 29

30 I-25, Wyoming 30

31 I-93, Boston s Big Dig 31

32 H3 N from Pearl Harbor 32

33 Alaska Four routes, A-1, A-2, A-3, & A-4 added to Interstate in 1981

34 Roads and Pop Culture Road Songs On the road again, Willie Nelson King of the road, Roger Miller Long and winding road, Beatles Take me home, country roads, JD Hit the road, Jack, Ray Charles Road Movies Thunder Road (1958) Smokey and the Bandit (1977) Convoy (1978) 34

35 Interstate Changes Mileage crept up to 47,000+ Cost escalated to $150 B Opposition to urban I routes Increased urban travel Growth in goods movement Increased commute lengths Technological advancements Manage urban freeway ops Beyond design life 35

36 Interstate Challenges 36

37 Interstate Disruptions I-95 37

38 I-35 at FM 2484 (3/26/15) 38

39 Further North on I-35 39

More Interstate Facts Current Interstate Mileage 47,662

District ITE 12,453 9,100 miles rural (73%) 3,353 miles

Annapolis, MD (17.62 mi) I-580 to Carson City, NV (30.

40 More Interstate Facts Current Interstate Mileage 47,662 39% urban Fewest miles: DC 12; DE 40; RI 68 Western District ITE 12,453 9,100 miles rural (73%) 3,353 miles urban (27%) Connections to state capitals I-97 to Annapolis, MD (17.62 mi) I-580 to Carson City, NV (30.09) US 1 to Dover, DE US 54 to Jefferson City, MO US 83 to Pierre, SD 40

41 Last Interchange Alphabetically 41

42 Interstate Trivia Longest route I-90, 3,030 mi Shortest (2-digit) I-73, NC, 12.3 Most I miles TX, 3,233 mi Most I routes NY, 29 Highest elev I-70, CO Lowest elev I-8, El Centro Interchanges 14,750 Oldest segment Grand C Pkwy PA Turnpike 42

43 TRB Interstate 50 Ribbon Cutting 43

44 BTW, Where is I-50? 44

45 90 th Anniversary of US 66 45

Your Questions & Comments. States to Watch in 2017: Transportation Funding

Your Questions & Comments. States to Watch in 2017: Transportation Funding Agenda National Outlook: Alison Premo Black, American Road & Transportation Builders Association Indiana: Kaitlin Lange, Evansville Courier & Press New Mexico: Andy Lyman, New Mexico Political Report Oregon: