In celebration of our recent feature in Arkansas Good Roads Magazine, published by the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, we wanted to share a bit about the history of road quality movements in the United States, especially regarding the impact of the original Good Roads Movement of the late 19th century.
A desire for better, smoother, and more reliable road networks has been at the forefront of policy discussions for the past few weeks, but it is not a new movement by any means. In fact, the origins of a collective crusade for federally funded road improvements in the United States may not be what you expect. It was bicyclists, not drivers, that first began pushing for better roads in the U.S. In the late 1870’s, bicycle enthusiasts, manufacturers, and people who relied on bicycles as a primary mode of transportation began to unite. The Good Roads Movement was officially founded in 1880, and gained a national following of over 1 million subscribers through the publication of the Good Roads Magazine in 1892. (While the contemporary Arkansas Good Roads Magazine isn’t directly related to this publication, the foundation traces its roots to a Good Roads convention held in Little Rock in 1896.)
Leaders of the Good Roads Movement published a particularly influential pamphlet titled The Gospel of Good Roads: A Letter to the American Farmer, which detailed benefits of better roads for farmers and rural families. Higher quality roads meant farmers could easily transport crops to markets, families could access church and schools, and mail could be delivered to rural areas. As a result of the growing traction, the Federal Government established an Office of Road Inquiry to begin research into more reliable road materials. Asphalt pavements started to replace traditional dirt, brick, and loose gravel roads.
The invention of the automobile in the late 19th century, and then the American mass production of the 1908 Ford Model T, fueled the Good Roads movement even more. Dirt roads were nearly impossible to drive on in wet conditions, so automobilists joined bicyclists in the pursuit of federal aid for road infrastructure. Innovations in asphalt production and technologies began to take off even more.
In 1916, President Wilson signed the Federal Aid Road Act, which matched funds for paving projects in states that had an established highway department. Additional policy decisions granted states money and resources in different ways, until ultimately the Federal Highway System was established in 1926.
The Federal Highway System was a success, but our nation’s road networks have a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully the funds from the recent Infrastructure Bill will be allocated effectively and efficiently so we can raise our road infrastructure to a passing grade. Quality roads are still important to bicyclists and farmers, of course, but nowadays roads are integral to almost every industry… and our daily lives. We owe a huge thank you to the founders and supporters of the Good Roads Movement, as well as the organizations keeping the vision alive today.
Learn more about the history of America’s roads here and here.