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The evolving Interstate Highway System and the changing geography of the United States

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  • Weber, Joe

Abstract

The Interstate Highway System is a product of the 1930s and 1940s, yet remains essential to U.S. transportation in 2012 and for the foreseeable future. This analysis examines how the Interstate Highway System has changed since its inception in 1938, first map in 1947, and the beginning of construction in 1956. The mileage has grown considerably, allowing for many new routes, and the spatial coverage of the network has been extended to allow many new metropolitan areas to be connected. This has lowered connectivity but increased the metropolitan population served. A GIS dataset was created for the 1947 network, allowing it to be compared to the current network using standard accessibility measurement techniques. This research shows that the Interstate System has not kept up with population shifts in the South and West, and there is no correlation between accessibility change and population change. The greatest improvements have in fact taken place in the densest part of the network, not where population or traffic growth has been greatest. It has therefore reinforced advantages held by places already well placed on the original 1947 network. The old American Manufacturing Belt continues to provide an effective regionalization for capturing variations in the Interstate network, though it has become the Rustbelt and is of declining importance within the country.

Suggested Citation

  • Weber, Joe, 2012. "The evolving Interstate Highway System and the changing geography of the United States," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 70-86.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:25:y:2012:i:c:p:70-86
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2012.07.012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Taylor, Brian D., 1995. "Public Perceptions, Fiscal Realities, and Freeway Planning: The California Case," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt51m2v0vz, University of California Transportation Center.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jun Yang & Andong Guo & Xueming Li & Tai Huang, 2018. "Study of the Impact of a High-Speed Railway Opening on China’s Accessibility Pattern and Spatial Equality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-13, August.
    2. Weber, Joe, 2017. "Continuity and change in American urban freeway networks," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 31-39.
    3. Xiaokun Su & Chenrouyu Zheng & Yefei Yang & Yafei Yang & Wen Zhao & Yue Yu, 2022. "Spatial Structure and Development Patterns of Urban Traffic Flow Network in Less Developed Areas: A Sustainable Development Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Hyun Kim & Yena Song, 2018. "An integrated measure of accessibility and reliability of mass transit systems," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 1075-1100, July.
    5. Wu, Qitao & Fan, Jie & Zhang, Hongou & Ye, Yuyao, 2017. "The spatial impacts model of trans-strait fixed links: A case study of the Pearl River Delta, China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 30-39.
    6. Federico Pablo-Martí & Ángel Alañón-Pardo & Angel Sánchez, 2021. "Complex networks to understand the past: the case of roads in Bourbon Spain," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 15(3), pages 477-534, September.
    7. Kim, Hyojin & Sultana, Selima, 2015. "The impacts of high-speed rail extensions on accessibility and spatial equity changes in South Korea from 2004 to 2018," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 48-61.
    8. Tsou, Ko-Wan & Cheng, Hao-Teng & Tseng, Fu-Yi, 2015. "Exploring the relationship between multilevel highway networks and local development patterns—a case study of Taiwan," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 160-170.
    9. Hiramatsu, Tomoru, 2023. "Inter-metropolitan regional migration galvanized by high-speed rail: A simulation analysis of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen line in Japan," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    10. Ng, Adolf K.Y. & Jiang, Changmin & Li, Xiaoyu & O'Connor, Kevin & Lee, Paul Tae-Woo, 2018. "A conceptual overview on government initiatives and the transformation of transport and regional systems," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 199-203.
    11. Weber, Joe, 2018. "Route change on the American freeway system," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 12-23.
    12. Hiramatsu, Tomoru, 2018. "Job and population location choices and economic scale as effects of high speed rail: Simulation analysis of Shinkansen in Kyushu, Japan," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 15-26.

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