The Interstate Highway System: What Worked, What Did Not

It's been 50 years since President Eisenhower signed the bill creating the Interstate Highway System, one of the most successful federal programs ever. Randal O'Toole offers a few indicators of the success of the Interstate Highway System.

1 minute read

July 6, 2006, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Among the indicators:

  • Interstate highways make up less than 1.2 percent of the mileage of all roads in the U.S., yet they carry nearly half of all heavy truck traffic and nearly a quarter of all passenger traffic.
  • Since the Interstate Highway System was created, per capita miles of driving have tripled without any increase in the share of personal incomes spent on driving.
  • When combined with freight containers -- which, coincidentally, were also developed in 1956 (or 1955, depending on which history you read) -- the Interstate Highway System greatly contributed to the 90-percent reduction in shipping costs during the twentieth century.

    "...When Congress was debating the Federal-Aid Highway Act in 1955, engineers estimated they could build the entire system in twelve years for $23 billion. In fact, the system was not declared complete until thirty-five years later at a total cost of $129 billion. Even today, some short sections remained unfinished.

    After the system was more-or-less complete, the money kept pouring in. With no firm goal for the money, it might not be surprising that Congress turned highway funds into pork. The truth is a bit more subtle and involves the transfer of policy-making and planning power from engineers to urban planners. One reason for this transfer was the inflation of the 1960s and 1970s."

    Thanks to Randal O'Toole

  • Wednesday, July 5, 2006 in The Thoreau Institute

    portrait of professional woman

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

    Mary G., Urban Planner

    Get top-rated, practical training

    Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

    Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

    Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

    April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

    Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

    Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

    A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

    April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

    Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

    The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

    More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

    April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

    Yellow roadside sign with extreme heat warning: "Danger - Extreme Conditions! - STOP - Do not hike Jun-Sep - HEAT KILLS"

    Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills

    Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

    30 minutes ago - Nevada Current

    View of downtown Pittsburgh, PA with river and bridge in foreground at dusk.

    Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units

    Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.

    1 hour ago - Axios

    Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

    Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

    Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

    2 hours ago - Housing Wire