engineering so that the roads become ever more “forgiving” of errant drivers and vehicles. At the same time, we must continue to make the vehicles themselves more mechanically safe, and we must try to better equip the human beings who operate those vehicles to do so safely.
Past investments in highway improvements have provided a high level of mobility for the general population. In the future we can anticipate greater efforts to provide better mobility for the young, the elderly, and the handicapped who lack ready access to automobile transportation. In this regard, local elected officials of urbanized areas may elect to use certain apportioned highway funds for public mass transportation projects instead of for highways. Such an effort may be expected to extend to the transportation disadvantaged segment of our population the same opportunities for social, cultural, recreational, and economic benefits enjoyed by the rest of us.
The United States does not have an explicit national land use policy. The uncertainty regarding the nature and direction of changes in land use and settlement patterns is increased by the lack of a concensus regarding desirable growth within and among regions and between urban and nonurban areas. The Federal Highway Administration and the State and local highway organizations have responded to the needs of our growing Nation well in the past. As we look to the future, our efforts must be to provide even greater flexibility of choice to the States and local governments to provide highway services to meet changing population or economic developmental patterns that may emerge or be consciously pursued.
Out of all our past efforts—planning, designing, constructing, bridge building, and organizational efforts at all levels of government—has come a superb system of highways to serve a growing Nation. The challenge now and in the future is to preserve and enhance the performance level of our highways and at the same time promote within a multi-modal transportation family a more flexible and innovative transportation system. Our past performance, in all respects, would indicate that we will be equal to the challenge. We must demonstrate that we are.
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