THE INNOVATION OF THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

Strategies used to deploy technological innovations are central determinants of the degree to which those innovations realize their potential effect on social and economic productivity. The U.S. Interstate highway system was a deployment mechanism for the design innovations of high-speed geometric design and the control of highway access. This strategy was defined by rigid uniform minimum standards of facility design, severely constrained alternatives for configuring the network of facilities, and an inflexible and, in some cases, inappropriate institutional structure for constructing facilities. This strategy compromised the realization of productivity improvements available through the deployment of these innovations. This paper explores the origins of this deployment strategy and generalizes to a discussion of each of the Interstate program's provisions derived from charged with implementing it and from political expedients political expedients embraced to enact the program. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Gifford, J L
• Publication Date: 1984-7

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 319-332
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 18A
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access roads; Economics; Geometric design; Highway design; Highway planning; Highways; Impact studies; Improvements; Networks; Planning; Policy; Politics; Productivity; Road construction; Roads; Technological innovations; Technology; Traffic control
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Modifications; Road networks
• Geographic Terms: United States
• ITRD Terms: 435: Access road; 255: Economics; 2755: Highway; 2855: Highway design; 9108: Improvement; 2885: Layout; 9048: Modification; 143: Planning; 173: Policy; 3665: Road construction; 3855: Technology; 654: Traffic control; 8122: USA
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Society; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00396622
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-038 354
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1985 12:00AM