Other federal Agencies:
Among the many other federal
agencies whose highway interests overlap those of FHWA are the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and the Urban Mass Transit Administration, both
of which report directly to the Secretary of Transportation. The U.S Forest
Service, the National Park Service, and the Indian Service all administer
substantial road networks.
State Highway and State
Transportation Departments:
The Public highways of the country
are under the full control of the 50 state governments. In most states
administrative authority has in turn partly been delegated to state highway
departments and partly to countries and cities or other lower units of
government.
Several state highway departments
now also have been given legal control of all, or virtually all, rural roads.
North Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware are examples. All state highway
departments also have authority over some routes in cities. Also, under the
federal-aid highway acts, state highway departments must administer all
federal-aid programs.
State
highway departments differ greatly in size. Mileages administered range from
less than 500 to more than 70,000; annual expenditures from less than $50
million to than $1.1 billion. Organization varies in accordance with state law.
Typically, departments are headed either by a director or by a commission of
three-seven members (with a director or chief engineer). A director’s
responsibility is clear and centralized, but frequently he has and needs an
advisory board. Under the commission form of organization, responsibility may
be divided; and if its members represent respective state subdivisions, there
is a tendency to distort the annual state highway budget to satisfy local
demands, Commissioners appointed at large by the governor and with staggered
terms therefore may be preferable. The director or chief engineer under a
commission usually (but not always) is appointed by the commission. Governors
usually appoint directors (Sometimes superintendents), who obviously are
subject to political changes.
Local Road Organizations:
With
a few exceptions, the most heavily traveled roads in a state are administered
by the state highway department. In marked contrast, some 33,000 country, town
and township, urban, and special agencies administer local roads and streets.
Sizes and organization of these agencies differ widely. Many of them have good
engineering and administrative supervision; others do not. For example, almost
the entire personnel of some agencies may be changed after an unfavorable
election.
Country and local road administrations
are being improved steadily. Among the changes are the classification of roads
and streets by the state law, with state aid restricted to the more heavily
traveled routes; the inventory of all local raods by highway planning surveys;
widespread adoption of civil service in place of the once prevalent spoils
system; and the consolidation of several road administrations into a single
unit under a qualified engineer.
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