Lessons from the Road

At the NPF meeting recently we discussed ideas for linking partners with 

our work.  I highlighted research I've done on the US highway system.  You 

may recall that I mentioned that Dwight D. Eisenhower and Robert Moses had 

masterful strategies for how they got their public works projects 

supported and implemented.  Ike's approach is worth looking at for NPS's 

vision for partnerships, including dealing with our maintenance backlog.  

He focused on teaming-up with those partners that were most impacted by 

the outcome of his vision for highways.  Here is a brief summary of what I 

learned.

Glenn Eugster

Lessons from the Road--Glenn Eugster

The US experience in highway building seems to be a good model for 

conservation and recreation advocates as they pursue future funding and 

support.

In 1916 the Highway Planning & Construction Act was amended to assist with 

the planning and construction of the interstate system and all other 

federal aided primary and secondary roads.   In 1921 Highway Act required 

each State to designate 7% of it's road mileage as "primary".  These roads 

were eligible for federal aid on a 50-50 matching-basis.  Federal gasoline 

tax funds used to support these projects.

In 1944 a Federal Aid Highway Act was created to provide for a 

grant-in-aid program.  This was followed by the creation of a Dept. of 

Transportation in 1949.

1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower asked General Lucius Clay to Chair the 

Committee on a National Highway Program--to assess the transportation 

needs of the nation

The committee included the head of the Teamsters Union, the President of a 

large construction firm, the head of the National Chamber of Commerce, and 

the head of a road construction machinery manufacturer. These groups 

seemed to be key leaders with a strong interest in the final outputs, 

products and impacts of Eisenhower's vision(i.e. more construction jobs, 

more construction materials, improved commerce, etc.)

In the the Act was amended to call for a formal plan for 41,000 miles of 

road.  Of this target 5, 000 miles would be within cities.  A Highway 

Trust Fund was established using a federal tax to pay for road 

construction.  Federal funds were made available on a 90-10, federal to 

nonfederal matching basis.

The President stressed that this initiative was necessary because:

1. Existing highways were unsafe

2. Too many roads were congested

3. Poor roads inflated transportation costs for business

4. Existing highways were inadequate for evacuation in the event of 

nuclear war

Arguably, Eisenhower's vision was met with great support, as well as some 

scorn.  The NY Times, for example, hailed the initiative as "The most 

enormous public works project in the history of the world".  In contrast, 

noted city planner Lewis Mumford said "The most charitable thing to assume 

about this legislation is they hadn't the faintest notion of what they 

were doing".

However, the key emphasis behind Eisenhower's vision was the principle 

that "Model transportation planning emphasizes the total transportation 

system, rather than one or more isolated facilities".  What Ike did was 

create a way to eliminate--or at least reduce an approach to highway 

planning, funding and building that was site specific, seemingly 

uncoordinated and disconnected.  The approach greatly helped America's 

tendency to gravitate toward a "tyranny of small solutions".

Research Source:  "Divided Highway"  PBS