Daniel Convissor's Website

Superhighway, Superhoax

The original plans for highways during the 40's had them bypassing cities. It is my understanding that highways were built in urban areas because most people lived there, thus that's where most trips took place. Since that was the case:

1) Congress argued that if the people in urban areas were going to pay the gas tax going to the Highway Trust Fund (created in 1956), the urban folks must get something for it.

2) The big auto makers wanted it that way too, and pushed Congress to make it so. If the roads were built away from where people lived, why would people be motivated to buy cars.

I get this theory from Superhighway, Superhoax, by Hellen Levitt

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Last updated: 4 April 1999