Image via CrunchBaseInventing the Interstate (Tom Vanderbilt. New York Times, Jul. 15, 2011)Also discussed here: Mile upon mile of emptiness (Eric Britton, World Streets, Jul. 23, 2011)
And here: Solar Roadways
And here: Firm Nets $750K for ‘Solar Parking Lot’ (Wall Street Journal, Jul.20, 2011)
Highways are the focus of today’s review- in particular the national highway system in the USA which compares to the TransCanada Highway system in its larger neighbor to the north. Having reached a zenith in the late 1900s, as we start to see a decline in vehicle miles driven and as carbon fuel prices increase, one wonders how much longer these expensive systems will be viable. Alternatively, we are reminded of the Solar Roads project which could replace all that asphalt and polluting vehicles on these highways with non-polluting materials and emissions.
Key Quotes:
[The 1921 Federal Highway Act] “remains the single most important piece of legislation in the creation of a national network — far more so than the later Interstate highway bill.”
“the highways of America are built chiefly of politics.”
“where congested roads would once be treated with the short-term inoculation of more lanes, a state highway official says, We don’t have enough money for that approach anymore.”
“Solar Roadways Incorporated announced that it has been awarded a follow-up $750,000 Phase II SBIR contract by the Federal Highway Administration”
“This will lead to the end of our dependency on fossil fuels of any kind.. The idea is to transform the nation’s highways – often empty and baking in the sun – into a giant solar-power network”
Related articles
- Not Too Stimulative (ritholtz.com)
- A New Turn Ahead on U.S. Highways, Imported from France (time.com)
- Giant mudslide closes highway between Lake Louise and Golden (globaltvbc.com)
- Interstate Highways as a Long-Haul Project (online.wsj.com)
- Driving at peak traffic time? Pay a fee. (csmonitor.com)
- Traffic rolls on Highway 75 (cbc.ca)
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