The Unforeseen Consequences of the American Interstate System-- Part 1

From the March 10, 2021, Cheddar by Lawrence Banton.

The early 1900s marked the beginning of Americans traveling more and more by automobiles as prices for them came down.  The problem then, as now, has been roads.

New York opened the New York State Parkway in 1908 to link cities with recreational areas.  A year later, Daniel Burnham submitted plans for building and elaborate highway system in Chicago  that would connect outlying suburbs to the urban center.

In the 1910s, states began working  together to create their own interstate systems so businesses could transport goods to  multiple states and people could travel to a larger number of destinations.

One of the first major interstate systems was the Dixie Highway created in 1915, connecting  Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on the Canadian border, to Miami, Florida just as Florida was beginning its real estate boom.  (Actually the Lincoln Highway, the first hard surface transcontinental highway was two years earlier than that.

Since these highways were state-run projects, that meant no federal money was allocated.    To cover the costs of these projects states began charging gas taxes.  Oregon instituted a gas tax  in 1911 and by 1932, every state was  imposing the taxes.

Since only the people using the roads were paying the tax, this was fair.

Next:  Dwight D. and Cross Country on the LH.

--RoadDog