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Today in Interstate History

Traffic approaching San Francisco, California. Picture courtesy of 511.org

September 27, 1956

At a meeting in San Francisco, California, for the nation's engineers, New York City Traffic Commissioner T.T. Wiley discussed the newly authorized Interstate System. He specifically spoke about the highway network's basic design and what he characterized as its inadequacies. He asserted, "Too little attention is being paid to the detailed needs of traffic in metropolitan areas where the problem is most acute." Wiley, in outlining the need to address that issue, also urged his fellow engineers to seek more creative solutions to help urban traffic move quickly and safely.