II the federal role and responsibility
THE EXTENSIVE FEDERAL INTEREST AND RESPONSIBILITY in
assisting American cities--as evidenced by programs of urban
renewal, construction and modernization of hospitals, public
housing, model cities, water and sewer facilities and waste
treatment works, and urban planning assistance, among
others depend heavily for maximum social benefits upon
sound investments in urban transportation systems. While the
Federal Government has a long history of involvement with
transportation--from the railroads of the 19th century, to the
airports and interstate highways of today this piecemeal
involvement has been predominantly concerned with intercity
travel. I'ntil recently, the Federal Government has not assumed
a substantial role in encouraging the innovative development
of intraurban transportation technology.
Recognition that urban mass transportation involves unique problems requiring special treatment became explicit with the Housing Act of 1961 and with expansion of that program in the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, under President Johnson's urging that "the proper mixture of good highways and mass transit facilities should be developed to permit safe, efficient movement of people and goods in our metropolitan centers. It has been the Department's experience in admin- istering urban transportation programs under the above acts, that, while application of some present technology could help with the present needs of urban areas, more intensive, langer range efforts are required in order to have available tech- nology capable of meeting the future demands for urban transportation,21
