Funding the Interstate Highway System

25 artifacts in this set

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The 48,000-mile Interstate Highway System connects all corners of the United States with high-speed, limited-access roadways. Funding for new construction and ongoing maintenance comes from taxes on vehicles, tires, and -- mostly -- fuel. But as cars get more efficient and drivers shift to hybrids and electrics, gas tax revenues get smaller. Highway funds shrink as the costs of caring for an aging system grow.

Detailed Description

Map Showing Travel and Transportation Routes between the Atlantic Coast and Missouri River of 1750-1825, Printed 1915

Print (Visual work)

America's first roads were a poorly funded jumble. Highways were considered local responsibilities, which meant that routes were inadequately financed and haphazardly built. Improvements were uncoordinated and disconnected, and maintenance beyond municipal boundaries was nonexistent.