Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921): Building Roads and Starting the Federal-State Partnership 

This article is a part of our series From Lighthouses to Electric Chargers: A Presidential Series on Transportation Innovations

Woodrow Wilson had a meteoric political career. In 1910, he resigned his position as president of Princeton University to run as a Democrat for governor of New Jersey. Just two years later, in the race for president, Governor Wilson defeated two powerful foes: the Republican incumbent president (William Howard Taft) and the former president (Theodore Roosevelt) who ran on the Progressive Party line. 

As president, Wilson substantially influenced transportation in three areas: 1916 highway legislation, World War I, and his enthusiasm for the automobile. 

1916 Federal Road Act  

President Wilson signed the Federal Road Act of 1916, the first U.S. federal highway funding legislation. At a White House ceremony attended by members of Congress and representatives of the American Automobile Association (AAA), farm organizations, and the American Association of State Highway Officials, Wilson said:  

I take a great deal of pleasure in signing this bill and having a part in the good work that has been done, particularly because it tends to thread the various parts of the country together and assists the farmer in his intercourse with others. 

Thirty-four states have now outlined in some form a system of main trunk lines, which is now an augury for the success of the Federal Aid plan just inaugurated… It should be kept in mind that an application for Federal Aid in the improvement of any road must be made by the highway department of the State. Consequently, if anybody in the State desires to have a road improved at the aid of Federal funds, it is necessary that the matter be taken up with the State Highway Department and not with the Federal Government, which will have the final say through the Secretary of Agriculture. 

The legislation resolved a debate that dated back to the 19th century about the appropriate role of the federal government regarding roadway funding.  

The relationship established in 1916 endures today. Roads would be built and maintained by the states. The federal government would provide funds to cover a portion of construction costs, but only to states that established highway agencies and designed roads to meet certain standards. A federal agency would administer the program.  

The law was strongly influenced by newly created advocacy associations that are still around today, including the AAA, American Road Makers (now known as the American Road and Transportation Builders Association), and the American Association of State Highway Officials. 

The latter organization, now known as the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), was founded in 1914. It drafted a bill to balance many conflicting interests and gave the states a coordinated and influential voice in Washington, D.C. 

Key to developing a consensus was creating a funding mechanism that balanced area size, population size and road system size, precluded tolling, set limits on federal aid, established matching requirements, and, significantly, established the authorization as a five-year program permitting the state agencies to plan for the future. 

World War I 

The United States entered World War I “in order to make the world safe for democracy” in 1917 and as a result, had to develop an extensive capability in a rapid time frame. This meant massive development of steel and other components of war material, but most particularly getting those needed elements to the East Coast and then shipping them to the European theater. Before America’s engagement, the country was already heavily involved in shipping supplies to our Allies. This compounded that as the U.S. outfitted one million soldiers, trained them, and transported them to embarkation points and onto the European battlefront.  

A major transportation factor was the President’s nationalization of the railroads on Dember 26, 1917, placing them under government operation and management by the Secretary of War. The railroads had been through a weak period of maintenance and expansion, and obstructive federal regulations were causing serious issues for mobilization.  

The more significant logistical issue was the massive shift to road use by trucks to get men, equipment, and the trucks themselves to the eastern ports for shipping. The weaknesses of the road system and the destruction of the roads themselves by the movements of thousands of newly built trucks heavily laden with warfare materials, established the need for a stronger road surfaces and designs to meet large vehicle needs.  

Wilson’s Love Affair With The Automobile – And America’s 

Wilson was not the first president to use an automobile, but he was the one who made it a hallmark of his tenure. His vehicle, now housed at the Woodrow Wilson Museum in Staunton Virginia, was a magnificent Pierce Arrow (see photo). 

Recognition is required of the colossal scale of change during this period. In 1910 there were about 180 people in America for each truck and automobile. By 1920, that number was down to 14 people per vehicle. 

On almost a daily basis, Wilson took his presidential vehicle on a chauffeured ride through the city. It gave him time to relax and interact with the Washington, D.C. community. He waved at crowds and often stopped to talk. His automobile trips were often widely reported. The first president to join AAA, his presidential vehicle proudly displayed its badge.  

Wilson at the White House in 1923. Source: Library of Congress 

Selected References 

Richard F. Weingroff, “Creation of a Landmark: The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916.” 

National Academy of Engineering, “The 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century.” 

Woodrow Wilson Museum, Staunton Va.  

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Alan E. Pisarski is an independent transportation researcher and policy analyst. He founded the Transportation Research Board (TRB) History Committee in 1996 and chaired it for its first six years. He was invited to give the TRB Distinguished Lecture in 1999 and received its W.N. Carey Distinguished Service award in 2007. The Eno Center for Transportation appreciates how Mr. Pisarski has advised and supported Eno’s policy work for more than four decades.