AASHTO recognizes 55th anniversary of federal interstate system.
Press Release Summary:
According to statement made by John Horsley, director of AASHTO, the national transportation system is the engine driving the national economy, delivering jobs and assuring just in time delivery of goods. AASHTO's member state DOTs are creating strategies for operating existing system more efficiently, supporting greater transportation choices, and adding capacity where it is most needed. But states and local communities need help of Congress in form of new surface transportation authorization.
Original Press Release:
John Horsley, Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Issued the Following Statement Today to Commemorate the 55th Anniversary of the Federal Interstate Transportation System
John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials, issued the following statement today to commemorate the
55th anniversary of the federal interstate transportation system
"As we recognize the 55th anniversary of the federal interstate program, let's celebrate the tremendous achievement of a national system of superhighways that has transformed our nation and our economy. It is a symbol of freedom and a tribute to human ingenuity.
The national transportation system is the engine driving our national economy: delivering jobs, assuring just in time delivery of goods and a brighter economic future for our children.
We are faced with tremendous challenges, however. A third of the nation's highways - interstates, freeways and major roads - need attention. Our primary user fee - the gas tax - is increasingly at risk as technological advances offer drivers an opportunity to move away from fossil fuels, thus reducing revenue for investment. Meanwhile, demands on the system continue to increase - in the air, on the rails, and on the highways.
AASHTO's member state departments of transportation are working on these challenges: creating strategies for operating the existing system more efficiently; supporting greater transportation choices; and adding capacity where it makes sense and where it is most needed. But states and local communities need the help of Congress in the form of a new surface transportation authorization. And our members need the support of the Administration to streamline oversight, project approvals, and burdensome regulation.
On this 55th anniversary, we as a nation must remember the vision that was shared by those who stood behind President Dwight D. Eisenhower as he signed the bill into law. Those men and women envisioned a national transportation network that would meet the needs of the traveling public and serve as a critical foundation for our national economic health. Our future vision for the transportation system in the next 50 years should not waver from that."
For more information on AASHTO's authorization principles, visit www.transportation.org/?siteid=98.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the "Voice of Transportation" representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/aashtospeaks.
©American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
