FEDERAL AID ROAD ACT OF 1916: BUILDING THE FOUNDATION

Building the foundation for good roads in the United States (U.S.) through federal aid and involvement began late in the 19th century. Initially, members of Congress were hesitant to involve the government in a road program, assuming they had no constitutional authority to enact such a program. Several factors altered Congress' thinking: 1) farmers became involved in the good roads movement; 2) the rise of the automobile; 3) a Supreme Court decision that settled the constitutional question; 4) the founding of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO); and 5) the appointment of Logan Waller Page as director of the Office of Public Roads, who had a scientific view of the nation's road problems. This article chronicles the work of the Congress that led to passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 and the important men that were proponents of the bill, including Logan Waller Page, Senator John Hollis Bankhead, and President Woodrow Wilson. Sidebars on these men are included.