100 Years Evolution Of Traffic 1910s - 2010s ›

This was the decade of the . President Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act in 1956, creating the massive artery system we use today. Cars grew fins, burned leaded gas, and became symbols of status. The "Drive-In" culture—movies, burgers, and banks—meant you never had to leave your seat. 1960s: Muscle and Safety

This is the story of how we moved, from the rattle of the crank-start to the silent hum of the electric motor. 1910s: The Great Transition 100 years Evolution of Traffic 1910s - 2010s

The oil crisis of 1973 changed traffic forever. The era of the "land yacht" died, replaced by compact, fuel-efficient imports. The national speed limit was dropped to 55 mph to save fuel. For the first time, drivers realized that the road wasn't an infinite resource. 1980s: The Digital Dashboard This was the decade of the

The 60s brought a split in identity: the raw power of versus a growing concern for life and limb. In 1968, the federal government finally mandated seat belts. Traffic was now a heavy, high-speed reality, prompting the first serious look at how to survive a crash. 1970s: The Reality Check The era of the "land yacht" died, replaced

The decade belonged to the and the rise of the EV. Automation moved from sci-fi to reality with Lane Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control. Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft fundamentally changed urban traffic patterns, turning the personal car into a shared utility. As the decade closed, the talk shifted from "how we drive" to "if we need to drive at all."

The minivan of the 80s gave way to the . High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes became common as cities tried to incentivize carpooling. Meanwhile, the first GPS systems began to trickle into high-end vehicles, ending the era of the paper map and the "lost driver." 2000s: Connected and Congested

Despite the Depression, car design flourished. This was the era of —teardrop shapes and chrome. Parking meters were born in Oklahoma City (1935) to handle the congestion. As the "Sunday Drive" became a cultural staple, the first multi-lane parkways began to emerge, separating cars from the slow-moving past. 1940s: War and White Walls