Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973
93rd United States Congress
Citation	Public Law 93–87; 87 Stat. 250
Enacted by	Congress
Date signed	August 13, 1973
Summary
Reauthorization of Interstate Highway System funding for five years; funded urban and rural primary and secondary road construction for three years; permitted diversion of highway construction funds to mass transit; established first highway safety improvement program and first national speed limit

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–87; 87 Stat. 250) is legislation enacted by the United States Congress and signed into law on August 13, 1973, which provided funding for existing interstate and new urban and rural primary and secondary roads in the United States. It also funded a highway safety improvement program, and permitted states for the first time in U.S. history to use Highway Trust Fund money for mass transit. The law also established the first national speed limit (of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h)).

Beginning in 1964, Congress passed a new highway aid act every two years, authorizing new expenditures and making changes to federal highway policies.

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 and the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1970 had authorized states to issue contracts for construction of the Interstate Highway System and urban and rural primary and secondary roads through June 30, 1974. It also provided funds for these contracts. Congress again attempted to pass legislation (the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1972) in 1972. However, the bill died after a House-Senate conference committee was unable to agree whether to allow Highway Trust Funds to be used for mass transit. Another controversial issue was whether to require the District of Columbia to build the controversial Three Sisters Bridge.

Two important personnel changes occurred in the House after the failure of this legislation. Federal elections for the House and Senate were held in November 1972. First, Democratic Representative William M. Colmer declined to run for office again. He was replaced as chair of the House Rules Committee by the much more liberal Democratic Representative Ray Madden. Second, the death of Democratic Representative Hale Boggs, the House Majority Leader, in a plane crash in Alaska on October 16, 1972, elevated Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill to that position when the new 93rd Congress convened in January 1973.