Macdonald, Thomas H.

In every urban center of the United States, traffic is a major concern, as well as a source of constant discussion, debate, and frustration. Due in no small part to the work of Thomas H. MacDonald (1881–1957), traffic is both more prevalent and more worrisome for Americans.

Born in Leadville, Colorado, in 1881, MacDonald grew up in Iowa, where the family had moved soon after his birth. He attended Iowa State University and earned his degree in civil engineering, graduating at a time in American history when the car was coming into its own as the model of cheap, affordable transportation for the masses. MacDonald realized that for people to truly appreciate their newfound freedom—cars allowed them to go wherever streets led and on their own schedule—a better network of roads had to be laid.

Until the mid-19th century, roads in cities were constructed of mostly cobblestones or brick, if they were paved at all. Outside of the cities, formal road construction consisted of little more than ruts, gravel, or planks. MacDonald realized that the roads needed better construction if they were to survive. His first job was with the state of Iowa, where he noted that a better road network would allow farmers to get more products to market, as well as improve communications within the state.

In 1916, he was appointed the chief of the Bureau of Public Roads, which was part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. On his arrival, MacDonald immediately pushed the idea of a national network of roads that would link cities as well as the communities in between them. That idea grew into the interstate highway system we know today. Unfortunately, much of the highway system, as well as the trucking industry that used it, was ill- or unregulated, and the roads quickly fell into disrepair.

MacDonald quickly envisioned a national road network that would allow for cross-country travel. The first incarnation of this road, dubbed the Lincoln Highway, was to run from New York to San Francisco. Acknowledging the scope of his undertaking, he noted that in human history, only three societies had undertaken such a massive road construction project: the Romans, the French under Napoleon, and the United States in the 1920s. The timing of the road project was also important for the cities, as the 1920 census showed that for the first time in U.S. history, more people lived in the cites than in rural areas. By the late 1920s, MacDonald had succeeded both in constructing national roads and in creating regulations for those who drove on them. A uniform system of signs across the United States was installed, so that wherever the drivers went, the signs would not be different and thereby cause trouble.

The increased traffic between cities, as well as the problems associated with in-town driving (parking spaces, increased wear and tear on the road, the need for traffic control, etc.), all weighed heavily on Mac-Donald. His desire to unify and control the road networks was a major factor in getting the states to work together for better roads. At the same time, his heavy-handedness put off many potential allies. In fact, he was fired from the same position twice because of his intransigence toward other people's ideas or political considerations.

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