Public Roads: A Journal of Highway Research and Development, Vol. 56 No. 4

Cannon, Bruce E.; Speier, Gregory C.; Wentworth, James A.; Miller, Ted R. · 1993 · ROSA P / United States. Government Printing Office

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Summary

This document comprises two articles from the March 1993 issue of *Public Roads*, a journal of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), focusing on the implementation and principles of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). The first article, by Bruce E. Cannon, outlines the philosophical shift required to execute the Intermodal Transportation Program (ITP), while the second, edited from testimony by FHWA Administrator Thomas D. Larson, reports on the first year of ISTEA’s execution. The primary research problem addressed is the transition from traditional, single-mode highway management to a comprehensive, intermodal transportation system. Cannon argues that previous approaches were parochial, focusing on narrow institutional interests rather than seamless network outcomes. The motivation is to ensure that the $155 billion authorized by ISTEA is used efficiently to enhance economic competitiveness, safety, and environmental quality. The text identifies ten guiding principles for the ITP: implementing intermodalism, utilizing flexibility, improving efficiency, applying engineering principles, limiting red tape, enhancing the environment, promoting safety, innovating, promoting creative investments, and developing comprehensive plans. The methodology involves a policy analysis of ISTEA’s mandates and a review of FHWA’s administrative actions during its first year. Cannon utilizes the concept of "edge cities"—suburban urban cores defined by Joel Garreau—to illustrate the impact of land-use patterns on transportation demand, noting that Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) grew six times faster than population between 1983 and 1990. Larson’s section provides empirical data on funding obligations and programmatic shifts. Key findings include the successful obligation of $19.6 billion in FY 1992, the largest in history at that time, and $302.4 million in transfers from highway to transit funds. The text highlights the establishment of the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) program, authorized with approximately $660 million, as a critical innovation for mobility and safety. It also notes a decline in fatal accident rates for heavy trucks and combination vehicles since 1980. However, the authors identify significant challenges, including a funding gap where the Federal-aid Highways obligation ceiling provided only $4 for every $5 in ISTEA authorizations, resulting in $17 billion spent in FY 1993 instead of the budgeted $18 billion. The significance of these findings lies in the restructuring of U.S. transportation policy. The articles conclude that success depends on moving away from centralized, prescriptive federal regulation toward state-led flexibility and intergovernmental cooperation. They emphasize that addressing urban congestion requires managing growth and land use, not just building infrastructure. The text asserts that full funding of ISTEA is vital for economic vitality and that the shift to an intermodal, outcome-based approach represents a paradigm shift in how transportation priorities are set and executed.

Key finding

The document describes a policy framework and implementation status for the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, focusing on administrative principles and funding obligations rather than empirical research results.

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation