Federal Highway Administration

Last updated

Federal Highway Administration
FHWA logo square.svg
Agency overview
FormedApril 1, 1967;57 years ago (1967-04-01)
Preceding agency
  • Bureau of Public Roads
Jurisdiction Federal government of the United States
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Annual budget$46 billion (FY2019) [1]
Agency executives
  • Vacant, Administrator
  • Gloria Shepherd, Acting Deputy Administrator
  • Gloria Shepherd, Executive Director
Parent agency Department of Transportation
Website www.fhwa.dot.gov

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program. Its role had previously been performed by the Office of Road Inquiry, Office of Public Roads and the Bureau of Public Roads.

Contents

History

Background

With the coming of the bicycle in the 1890s, interest grew regarding the improvement of streets and roads in America. The traditional method of putting the burden on maintaining roads on local landowners was increasingly inadequate. In 1893, the federal Office of Road Inquiry (ORI) was founded; in 1905, it was renamed the Office of Public Roads (OPR) and made a division of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Demands grew for local and state government to take charge. With the coming of the automobile, urgent efforts were made to upgrade and modernize dirt roads designed for horse-drawn wagon traffic. In 1910, the American Association for Highway Improvement was organized. Funding came from automobile registration, and taxes on motor fuels, as well as state aid. By 1914, there were 2.4 million miles of rural dirt rural roads; 100,000 miles had been improved with grading and gravel, and 3,000 miles were given high-quality surfacing. The rapidly increasing speed of automobiles, and especially trucks, made maintenance and repair high-priority items.

In 1915, OPR's name was changed to the Bureau of Public Roads. The following year, federal aid was first made available to improve post roads and promote general commerce: $75 million over five years, issued through the BPR in cooperation with the state highway departments. [2] [3]

In 1939, BPR was renamed to the Public Roads Administration (PRA) and shifted to the Federal Works Agency. After the FWA was abolished in 1949, the organization was once again named the Bureau of Public Roads; it was placed under the Department of Commerce. [4]

From 1917 through 1941, 261,000 miles of highways were built with $3.17 billion in federal aid and $2.14 billion in state and local funds. [a]

Creation

The Federal Highway Administration was created on October 15, 1966, along with the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety and the National Highway Safety Bureau (now known as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), as part of the new U.S. Department of Transportation. [6] The FHWA took over the functions of the Bureau of Public Roads the following year.

Functions

The FHWA's role in the Federal-aid Highway Program is to oversee federal funds to build and maintain the National Highway System (primarily Interstate highways, U.S. highways and most state highways). This funding mostly comes from the federal gasoline tax and mostly goes to state departments of transportation. [7] The FHWA oversees projects using these funds to ensure that federal requirements for project eligibility, contract administration and construction standards are adhered to.

Under the Federal Lands Highway Program (sometimes called "direct fed"), the FHWA provides highway design and construction services for various federal land-management agencies, such as the Forest Service and the National Park Service. The FLHP also jointly administers the Indian Reservation Roads Program.

In addition to these programs, the FHWA performs and sponsors research in the areas of roadway safety, congestion, highway materials and construction methods, and provides funding to local technical assistance program centers to disseminate research results to local highway agencies.

The FHWA also publishes the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is used by most highway agencies in the United States. The MUTCD provides such standards as the size, color and height of traffic signs, traffic signals and road surface markings.

Programs

Long-Term Pavement Performance Program

Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) is a program supported by the FHWA to collect and analyse road data. The LTPP program was initiated by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Research Council (NRC) in the early 1980s. The FHWA with the cooperation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sponsored the program. As a result of this program, the FHWA has collected a huge database of road performance. The FHWA and the ASCE hold an annual contest known as LTPP International Data Analysis Contest, which is based on challenging researchers to answer a question based on the LTPP data. [8]

Every Day Counts initiative

In 2010, FHWA launched the Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative to identify and deploy innovations to reduce project delivery time, enhance safety, and protect the environment. [9] [10] [11] [12] EDC is a state-based model that rapidly deploys proven, yet underutilized innovations. FHWA works with State transportation departments, local governments, tribes, private industry, and other stakeholders to identify a new collection of innovations to champion every two years that merit accelerated deployment. Among the approaches promoted by the EDC effort are: adaptive traffic control to reduce fuel consumption and improve travel time reliability; alternative intersection design; prefabricated bridge elements and systems; high-friction surface treatments; warm mix asphalt; ultra-high-performance concrete; virtual public involvement; and time-saving strategies such as rapid bridge replacement. [13] Since the inception of EDC, each state has used 26 or more of the 57 innovations and some states have deployed more than 45. Many of these practices have become mainstream practices across the country. [14]

Organization

The Federal Highway Administration is overseen by an administrator appointed by the President of the United States by and with the consent of the United States Senate. The administrator works under the direction of the Secretary of Transportation and Deputy Secretary of Transportation. The internal organization of the FHWA is as follows: [15]

Administrators

No.PortraitAdministratorTerm startedTerm endedNotes
1 Col.Roy Stone.jpg Roy Stone October 3, 1893October 13, 1899Special agent and engineer for the Office of Road Inquiry [16]
2 Martin Dodge.png Martin Dodge January 31, 18991905Director of the Office of Public Road Inquiries [16]
3 Logan Waller Page.png Logan Waller Page 1905December 9, 1918
4 ThomasHMacDonald.jpg Thomas Harris MacDonald April 1, 1919March 31, 1953Chief of the Bureau of Public Roads from 1919 to 1939, Administrator of the Public Roads Administration from July 1, 1939 to 1949 and commissioner of the Bureau of Public Roads from 1949 to March 31, 1953
5 Francis Victor DuPont.png Francis Victor du Pont April 1, 1953January 14, 1955
6 Charles Dwight (CAP) Curtiss.png Charles Dwight Curtiss January 14, 1955October 1956
7 John Volpe (1970).jpg John A. Volpe October 22, 1956February 5, 1957
8 Bertram D Tallamy.png Bertram D. Tallamy February 5, 1957January 20, 1961
9 Rex Marion Whitton.png Rex Marion Whitton January 20, 1961December 30, 1966
10 Lowell K. Bridwell.jpg Lowell K. Bridwell March 23, 1967January 20, 1969The Bureau of Public Roads became the Federal Highway Administration on April 1, 1967. [16]
11 Francis Cutler Turner.png Francis Turner March 13, 1969June 30, 1972
– Ralph Bartelsmeyer.jpg Ralph Bartelsmeyer (acting)July 1, 1972June 1, 1973 [17]
12 Gov. Norbert Tiemann.jpg Norbert Tiemann June 1, 1973March 31, 1977
13 William M Cox.png William M. Cox April 7, 1977May 1, 1978
14 Karl S Bowers.png Karl S. Bowers April 3, 1978January 1980
15 John S Hassell JR.png John S. Hassell Jr. July 11, 1980February 5, 1981
16 Ray Barnhart.jpg Ray Barnhart February 12, 1981December 31, 1987
17 Robert E Farris.png Robert E. Farris June 8, 1988May 17, 1989
18 Thomas D. Larson.png Thomas D. Larson August 10, 1989January 20, 1993
19 Slater rodney.jpg Rodney E. Slater June 3, 1993February 14, 1997
20 Kenneth R Wykle.png Kenneth R. Wykle December 2, 1997September 4, 2001
21 Mary Peters official DOT portrait.jpg Mary E. Peters October 2, 2001July 29, 2005
22 J Richard Capka.png J. Richard Capka May 31, 2006January 24, 2008
23 Thomas J Madison Jr.png Thomas J. Madison Jr. August 18, 2008January 20, 2009
24 Victor Mendez.jpg Victor Mendez January 20, 2009July 24, 2014
25 Gregory Nadeau.png Gregory G. Nadeau July 30, 2014January 20, 2017
– Bhendrickson highres.jpg Brandye Hendrickson (acting)July 24, 2017May 6, 2019
26 Nicole R. Nason official photo.jpg Nicole Nason May 7, 2019January 20, 2021
– Stephanie Pollack.jpg Stephanie Pollack (acting)February 24, 2021 [18] January 13, 2023
27 Shailen Bhatt, FHWA Administrator.jpg Shailen Bhatt January 13, 2023September 10, 2024
– Kristin White (acting)September 11, 2024December 16, 2024 [19]
–Gloria M. Shepherd (acting)December 17, 2024present

Deputy administrators

Executive directors

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The total GNP at current prices, 1917 through 1941 = $2,227.2 billion, so these roads = 5.32/2.227.2 = 1/4 of 1% of GNP. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate Highway System</span> Network of freeways in the United States

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. The system extends throughout the contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Department of Transportation</span> Federal executive department

The United States Department of Transportation is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedestrian crossing</span> Place designated for pedestrians to cross a road, street or avenue

A pedestrian crossing is a place designated for pedestrians to cross a road, street or avenue. The term "pedestrian crossing" is also used in the Vienna and Geneva Conventions, both of which pertain to road signs and road traffic.

<i>Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> National traffic control manual of the Federal Highway Administration

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are designed, installed, and used. Federal law requires compliance by all traffic control signs and surface markings on roads "open to public travel", including state, local, and privately owned roads. While some state agencies have developed their own sets of standards, including their own MUTCDs, these must substantially conform to the federal MUTCD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Department of Transportation</span> Department of transportation for the U.S. state of Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is the department of transportation for the State of Tennessee, with multimodal responsibilities in roadways, aviation, public transit, waterways, and railroads. It was established in 1915 as the Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works, and renamed the Tennessee Department of Transportation in 1972. The core agency mission of TDOT is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for people, goods, and services that supports economic prosperity in Tennessee. Since 1998, TDOT has been ranked amongst the top five in the nation for quality highway infrastructure. It is primarily headquartered in downtown Nashville and operates four regional offices in Chattanooga, Jackson, Knoxville, and Nashville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diverging diamond interchange</span> Freeway interchange design

A diverging diamond interchange (DDI), also called a double crossover diamond interchange (DCD), is a subset of diamond interchange in which the opposing directions of travel on the non-freeway road cross each other on either side of the interchange so that traffic crossing the freeway on the overpass or underpass is operating on the opposite driving side from that which is customary for the jurisdiction. The crossovers may employ one-side overpasses or be at-grade and controlled by traffic lights.

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is a unit of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). It was created in 2005 to advance transportation science, technology, and analysis, as well as improve the coordination of transportation research within the department and throughout the transportation community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Highway System (United States)</span> Network of strategic highways

The National Highway System (NHS) is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, military bases, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities. Altogether, it constitutes the largest highway system in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearview (typeface)</span> Humanist sans-serif typeface

Clearview, also known as Clearview Hwy, is the name of a humanist sans-serif typeface family for guide signs used on roads in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, Israel, Brazil and Sri Lanka. It was developed by independent researchers with the help of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, under the supervision of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It was once expected to replace the FHWA typefaces in many applications, although newer studies of its effectiveness have called its benefits into question.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annual average daily traffic</span> Measurement of how many vehicles travel on a certain road

Annual average daily traffic (AADT) is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a simple, but useful, measurement of how busy the road is.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Department of Transportation</span> State government agency in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for the construction and maintenance of the state's transportation infrastructure. Under the leadership of the Oklahoma secretary of transportation and ODOT executive director, the department maintains public infrastructure that includes highways and state-owned railroads and administers programs for county roads, city streets, public transit, passenger rail, waterways and active transportation. Along with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, the department is the primary infrastructure construction and maintenance agency of the State.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel tax and federal funding to local jurisdictions in the state. The Secretary of Transportation reports to the Governor of Illinois. IDOT is headquartered in unincorporated Sangamon County, located near the state capital, Springfield. In addition, the IDOT Division of Highways has offices in nine locations throughout the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 55 in Tennessee</span> Interstate Highway in Tennessee, United States

Interstate 55 (I-55) is part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from LaPlace, Louisiana, to Chicago, Illinois. In the state of Tennessee, the Interstate is located entirely within the state's second-largest city of Memphis, running 12.28 miles (19.76 km) from the Mississippi state line in the Whitehaven neighborhood to the Arkansas border across the Mississippi River. Of the six states that the Interstate passes through, the segment in Tennessee is the shortest, as well as the shortest mainline Interstate segment in Tennessee. I-55 serves a number of neighborhoods and industrial areas in the southwestern portion of Memphis, and also provides access to the Memphis International Airport, the second-busiest cargo airport in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula</span> Formula for estimating bridge weight limits

The Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula, also known as Bridge Formula B or the Federal Bridge Formula, is a mathematical formula in use in the United States by truck drivers and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials to determine the appropriate maximum gross weight for a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) based on axle number and spacing. The formula is part of federal weight and size regulations regarding interstate commercial traffic. The formula is necessary to prevent heavy vehicles from damaging roads and bridges. CMVs are most often tractor-trailers or buses, but the formula is of most interest to truck drivers due to the heavy loads their vehicles often carry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (Saskatchewan)</span> Ministry in Saskatchewan, Canada

The Ministry of Highways is divided into the Operations, Policy and Programs, and Corporate Services Divisions and the Communications Branch. The ministry is the employer of over 1,476 employees diversified amongst 105 communities in Saskatchewan. The current Minister of Highways and Infrastructure is Jeremy Cockrill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logo sign</span> Road sign

Logo signs are blue road signs used on freeways that display the logos or trademarks of nearby businesses before travelers reach an exit or interchange which lead to the businesses. Typically, a business pays a small fee to a transportation department to have their logos displayed on a large panel alongside other businesses. Depending on the jurisdiction, businesses may have to meet certain criteria such as hours of service and distance from the sign.

<i>Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> State highway manual

The Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the standard for traffic signs, road surface markings, and traffic signals in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is developed by the Ohio Department of Transportation's Office of Roadway Engineering "in substantial conformance to" the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices developed by the Federal Highway Administration. The first edition of the OMUTCD was published in 1924; the most recent edition was published in 2012. Ohio is one of ten states that publish their own editions of the MUTCD.

Transportation in the United States is governed by laws and regulations of the federal government. The Department of Transportation is responsible for carrying out federal transportation policy, and the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for security in transportation.

References

  1. ↑ "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019" (PDF). One Hundred Sixteenth Congress of the United States of America. January 3, 2019.
  2. ↑ Faulkner, Harold U. (1951). The Decline of Laissez Faire, 1897–1917. pp. 233–236.
  3. ↑ Dearing, Charles Lee (1942). American Highway Policy.
  4. ↑ Weingroff, Richard (September 28, 2017). "The Trailblazers: Brief History of the Direct Federal Highway Construction Program". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  5. ↑ United States Census Bureau (1976). Historical Statistics of the United States. F1, Q64-Q68. pp. 224, 711.
  6. ↑ "Highway Existence: 100 Years and Beyond". Public Roads. Federal Highway Administration. Autumn 1993.
  7. ↑ "What is the Highway Trust Fund, and how is it financed?". Tax Policy Center. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) International Data Analysis Contest". Federal Highway Administration.
  9. ↑ Schroeder, Bastian; Cunningham, Chris; Ray, Brian; Daleiden, Andy; Jenior, Pete; Knudsen, Julia (August 2014). Diverging Diamond Interchange Informational Guide (PDF). Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety.
  10. ↑ "EDC-1: Adaptive Signal Control Technology". Federal Highway Administration.
  11. ↑ Dowsett, Emily (January 31, 2019). "APWA Announces Public Policy Priorities for 116th Congress" (Press release). American Public Works Association – via GlobeNewswire News Room.
  12. ↑ "FHWA Launches Fifth Round of 'Every Day Counts' Program". For Construction Pros.
  13. ↑ "Every day counts initiative". Federal Highway Administration.
  14. ↑ "About Every Day Counts". Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  15. ↑ "FHWA Organization". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 Weingroff, Richard F. (Autumn 1993). "A Peaceful Campaign of Progress and Reform: The Federal Highway Administration at 100". Public Roads. 57 (2).
  17. ↑ "January 25". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  18. ↑ "FHWA Organization". Federal Highway Administration.
  19. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7274898665935183874
  20. ↑ "October 27". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  21. ↑ "March 23". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  22. ↑ "January 25". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  23. ↑ "100th Anniversary: An Evolving Partnership". Public Roads. Federal Highway Administration. November–December 2014. FHWA-HRT-15-001.
  24. ↑ Transportation: Current Literature - Volume 59 - Page 3. U.S. Department of Transportation, Library Services Division. 1980.
  25. ↑ "Secretary of Transportation May 11, 1978 Memorandum to President Carter" (PDF). Jimmy Carter's Presidential Library.
  26. ↑ "August 3". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  27. ↑ "August 8". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  28. ↑ Department of Transportation Related Agencies Appropriations 1989 House Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. US House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, Second Session Part 4. 1988.
  29. ↑ U.S. Department of Transportation News FHWA. Department of Transportation, Office of Public Affairs. 1980.
  30. ↑ "December 19". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  31. ↑ "Top FHWA Official Jeff Resigns". December 8, 1999.
  32. 1 2 3 "On This Day in Automotive History... - the Crittenden Automotive Library". www.carsandracingstuff.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  33. ↑ "May 15". FHWA By Day. Highway History. Federal Highway Administration.
  34. ↑ "Along The Road". Public Roads. November–December 2002.
  35. ↑ "FHWA Executive Director: Thomas D. Everett". Federal Highway Administration.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.