Into the Suburbs!
Last week was the 50th anniversary of the legislation that created the US Interstate Highway System. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was convinced that roadways were better than mass transit based on his experiences as Allied Commander during World War II.Eisenhower lobbied for the highways and won. His vision was extraordinary: travel on US Interstates increased by 51 percent from 1990 to 2004. Nearly $8.5 trillion in goods is transported each year across the national interstates. Interstates have allowed suburbs to develop and flourish. This roadway system created the Interstate 95 corridor: a megalopolis from Boston to Washington, DC that is home for millions of people.
Unfortunately, current repairs and improvements are $4 billion less this year than what is needed. The volume of traffic demands more lanes but the funds are not available to expand the roadways. Other improvements including such things as safer medians and rest stops are also on hold on the money for infrastructure decreases.
It is ironic that Eisenhower’s interstate highway system may eventually decay because of the very issue he addressed in his farewell speech: the build-up of the US industrial military complex. As more funds are diverted to support wars, the US infrastructure will continue to be under funded.
There is an inverse relationship between the US increase in military spending and the inability to create change in the world without force. The larger the percentage of the annual US budget dedicated to the industrial military complex, the less the world respects the US. Since the US is no longer the global strength of manufacturing and production, many countries of the world respond only to its show of force.
Today is America’s birthday and 230 years of independence. Our history books are filled with stories, facts and opinions about all the wars America has fought. Maybe the best gift Americans can give to America is to stop building the arsenals of war and instead invest in people and infrastructure like the US Interstate Highway System.
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