President Executive Orders

[WICT106]

AlanB, I also note that the 1956 Highway Act passed by a mere 2 ( !!! ) votes. I think I could search through certain magazines of that era, and find many of the same criticisms leveled today against passenger train improvements being leveled against the Interstate System.

 

[AlanB]

Yes, back then many thought that it was a State responsibility to build those highways; not a Federal responsibility. It was only thanks to diverting the Federal fuel tax into the newly created Highway Trust Fund, coupled with the bit about the military that got it passed.

Of course the military is probably lucky if it accounts for even 1% of the use of the IHS.

Also of note is the fact that the diverted fuel taxes according to the 1956 Highway Act were supposed to revert back to their original purpose, helping to pay down our National debt, either upon completion of the original IHS plan or 1972 which ever came first. Instead the Federal fuel tax continues to be diverted into highways.

 

[Nickrapak]

1) America did not worry about the debt like it does today. World War II created government debt spending that was beyond anything the country had experienced before, except possibly during the Civil War and definately the American Revolution. But that debt helped create unprecidented prosperity and in the 1950s debt was no longer considerd to be neccesarily a bad thing, especially if it helped spur economic development and it could pay for itself if it was spent for the right things.

Worthy of note is that while there was unprecedented deficit spending during WWII, in 1956, the debt/GDP ratio was below where it is today and on a downward trend.

In addition, 75% of the WWII debt was held by the American public. When that debt was paid back, it shocked the country with a huge influx of cash that had never been seen before or since. People used the cash to buy homes, cars, and anything else they wanted. Nowadays, most debt is held either by foreign governments or large banks, neither of which are about to use the interest income for buying physical goods here in America.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Yes, back then many thought that it was a State responsibility to build those highways; not a Federal responsibility. It was only thanks to diverting the Federal fuel tax into the newly created Highway Trust Fund, coupled with the bit about the military that got it passed.
Of course the military is probably lucky if it accounts for even 1% of the use of the IHS.

Also of note is the fact that the diverted fuel taxes according to the 1956 Highway Act were supposed to revert back to their original purpose, helping to pay down our National debt, either upon completion of the original IHS plan or 1972 which ever came first. Instead the Federal fuel tax continues to be diverted into highways.

As my Dad use to tell me; "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." hboy:

Pithy sayings aside, interesting stuff. I had forgotten about it going down in flames the first time, and then the 'National Defense" aspect that got put in. I heard somewhere, and I don't know it is an 'urban legend' or not, that there needs to be a straight (one mile?) section of Interstate Highway every 'x' number of miles of highway, for landing aircraft if needed. (The Russians are coming?)

The belief in state responsibilities for roads reminds me of what happened in Vermont. Vermont had a long standing belief that roads were a township's responsibilty to maintain. This was very ingrained into the Vermont Yankee philosophy of government which felt that local control over as much as possible was best. With the coming of the automobile there came pressure for a more integrated and state involved highway policy, but this was met with great resistance until a devastating flood in the 1930s wiped out so much of the highway system, that the towns had no choice but to turn to the state for assistance. Of course once this barn door was opened, it would not get shut.

So were did the original planners and policy makers for the Interstate Highway System think maintenance funding was going to come from once the system was complete, or in 1972? The states?

 

[PRR 60]

...Instead the Federal fuel tax continues to be diverted into highways.

And mass transit. Virtually all Federal Transit Administration grants, including rail, are funded by the Highway Trust Fund - over $24 billion in the last three years. 17% of all expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund goes to mass transit.

 

[jis]

We have always collectively believed in the existence of tooth fairies when it comes to accounting for maintenance and operating costs of anything in both the public and private sector. That is at the core of all of the cognitive dissonances that exist today between the desire to have services and the lack of desire to pay for their true cost.

 

[PRR 60]

Yes, back then many thought that it was a State responsibility to build those highways; not a Federal responsibility. It was only thanks to diverting the Federal fuel tax into the newly created Highway Trust Fund, coupled with the bit about the military that got it passed.
Of course the military is probably lucky if it accounts for even 1% of the use of the IHS.

Also of note is the fact that the diverted fuel taxes according to the 1956 Highway Act were supposed to revert back to their original purpose, helping to pay down our National debt, either upon completion of the original IHS plan or 1972 which ever came first. Instead the Federal fuel tax continues to be diverted into highways.

As my Dad use to tell me; "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." hboy:

Pithy sayings aside, interesting stuff. I had forgotten about it going down in flames the first time, and then the 'National Defense" aspect that got put in. I heard somewhere, and I don't know it is an 'urban legend' or not, that there needs to be a straight (one mile?) section of Interstate Highway every 'x' number of miles of highway, for landing aircraft if needed. (The Russians are coming?)

The belief in state responsibilities for roads reminds me of what happened in Vermont. Vermont had a long standing belief that roads were a township's responsibilty to maintain. This was very ingrained into the Vermont Yankee philosophy of government which felt that local control over as much as possible was best. With the coming of the automobile there came pressure for a more integrated and state involved highway policy, but this was met with great resistance until a devastating flood in the 1930s wiped out so much of the highway system, that the towns had no choice but to turn to the state for assistance. Of course once this barn door was opened, it would not get shut.

So were did the original planners and policy makers for the Interstate Highway System think maintenance funding was going to come from once the system was complete, or in 1972? The states?

States are responsible for operation and maintenance costs for the interstate highway system. Federal grants are available for major reconstruction projects.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

We have always collectively believed in the existence of tooth fairies when it comes to accounting for maintenance and operating costs of anything in both the public and private sector. That is at the core of all of the cognitive dissonances that exist today between the desire to have services and the lack of desire to pay for their true cost.

That's right. I forgot about the tooth fairy!

Bill, It is interesting to see the difference in highway maintenance from state to state. PA seems to have a pretty consistant policy of seemingly doing no maintenance until a major reconstruction project happens. whereas MD has usually done a pretty good job of keeping up its interstates in comparison. Then again their specific situations (Geography, economics, rural vs urban populations, etc.) are very different from each other.

And Nickrapack, your comment on who held the debt from WWII is a really good point as well. IMHO.

 

[trainman74]

I heard somewhere, and I don't know it is an 'urban legend' or not, that there needs to be a straight (one mile?) section of Interstate Highway every 'x' number of miles of highway, for landing aircraft if needed.

That is absolutely an urban legend. (There certainly have been cases of troubled aircraft landing on Interstates, to varying degrees of success, but that's incidental -- and those tend to be civilian light planes.)

I note that existing airports were adequate for the situation on 9/11/2001.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Here is an interesting article on the history of the creation of the Interstate Highway System. Those who are familiar with what it looks like today will love the picture of the Capital Beltway and US 50 in Maryland.