The Father of U.S. Roads

Long before Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower put the U.S. Interstate System on the map, so to speak, there was another man devoted to the effort. He stood for safer roads long before the major push for motor vehicle transportation. His name was Horatio Earle. Now regarded as the father of U.S. roads, his goal was to make cycling safer. 


According to a Department of Transportation blog, as a renowned bicycle enthusiast who put tremendous effort toward safety, he decided to dispel a common misconception later in life by stating: “I often hear now-a-days, the automobile instigated good roads; that the automobile is the parent of good roads. Well, the truth is, the bicycle is the father of the good roads movement in this country.”


Born in Mt. Holly, Vermont in 1855, his early professional career consisted of selling farm equipment. In 1889, he relocated his family to Detroit, where he began developing agricultural tools and selling them. 


He became a tremendous proponent of cycling and as such stepped into the role of president of the League of American Wheelmen. When leading the organization he began urging the state of Michigan to build modern and safer roads and streets “and vowed to conquer impediments to travel such as sand, clay and ‘the Mighty Monarch Mud, who roles the road to the exclusion of everyone.” 


He also organized the very first International Good Roads Conference in 1900, where he demonstrated cutting-edge road building techniques in Port Huron, Michigan. 


By 1902, he mobilized to form American Road Makers, which was renamed the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), in which he advocated for federal legislation to create a “Capital Connecting Government Highway” intended to connect state capitals to each other and every capital with the U.S. Capital in Washington. 


In 1892, under Earle’s leadership, the League had put tremendous effort in lobbying the Michigan legislature to establish a state highway commission – and they succeeded. As a result, Michigan’s State Highway Department (now known as the Michigan Department of Transportation) was born in 1905 with a staff of five, Earle as the commissioner and an annual operating budget of $10,000, according to the DOT blog. 


A milestone was reached in his efforts, when the nation’s first mile of concrete rural highway was completed in Detroit in 1909. 


Through his lifetime of effort paving the way for road safety, he earned the moniker of “Good Roads Earl” and was inducted into the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation’s Hall of Fame as an Industry Leader in 2014. 


The current network of roads was only made possible by people like Horatio Earle who were passionate about transportation – and safety.

Popular posts from this blog

Flaggers – the unsung heroes of road construction

They can be seen on every major highway, road, and bridge that is getting improvements. With a two-way radio in one hand and a STOP/SLOW sign in the other, they keep visitors and citizens moving past construction zones.  It was one of my first jobs. Becoming a Traffic Control Flagger is what gave me my first real introduction to the industry that would become my life’s work.  Flaggers, officially known as Traffic Control Flaggers, have the primary goal of keeping their coworkers and motorists safe by communicating with drivers and teammates as people navigate a construction zone.  They accomplish that goal by placing traffic cones to shut down lanes, using signs, flags, and hand signals to communicate with drivers, and sometimes even record license plate numbers of dangerous/disrespectful drivers and report them to police. Traffic Control Flaggers require training and often certification, depending on the state. However, there is often no experience required to get started. This lack
Read more

The Grit behind Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin Bridge

The people who helped build Louisiana were brave. Over and over again, those responsible for bringing infrastructure and allowing for growth in the Pelican State faced the swamplands. One notable example is when engineers and workers faced a swath of wilderness that extends down the center of Louisiana, full of liquid mud, water and jungle growth.  Louisianans are tough and really always have been. From the guys with the chainsaws, to those navigating boats and the crews responsible for research and constructing – a feat of engineering was accomplished in Louisiana in 1973. The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge in Iberville Parish and  St. Martin Parish earned the distinction of being the third longest bridge in the United States, spanning a staggering 96.095 feet or 18.2 miles. So close to being 20 miles in length, it is referred to by some locals as the “20 Mile Bridge.” Today, the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge maintains the title as the 2nd longest bridge on the U.S. interstate system and the 14
Read more

What it Takes to Lead

While leadership styles may vary by industries, the principles are the same. And to be a great leader — one that stands out from the crowd — you must work hard to continually improve your leadership skills. Not only for you, but for your company’s sake. As Indra Nooyi, former PepsiCo. CEO, says “If you want to improve the organization, you have to improve yourself so the organization gets pulled up with you.”  So, if leadership is the key to pulling up your company, then it would seem like business owners would want to hone their leadership skills for the sake of their businesses.  But, what does it take to be an amazing leader? What does great leadership look like?  How do you hone your leadership skills?  According to the late NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi, "Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."  In other words, leaders don’
Read more