Episode Player
Reimagining the U.S. Interstate system at 70
Talking Michigan Transportation
A national effort, entitled the “Reimagining America’s Interstates” initiative, is collecting comments on new interstate facility suggestions, feedback on major upgrades needed on existing routes, and how the system can better meet the needs of the 21st century traveling public.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced this new initiative during a June 30 media event that also celebrated the 70th anniversary of the “Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways,” created when President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, along with the unveiling of “Freedom 250” highway signs in celebration of that anniversary.
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), who participated in the event, talks about what the Interstate system has meant to the country and what could come out of the initiative.
The initiative will spur renewed conversation about the benefits of the system as well as some unintended consequences and focus on ideas for improvement.
