Freedom of the American Road 1955

Freedom of the American Road 1955

Henry Ford II introduces this film designed to encourage private citizens to unite and support road improvement. Part of the lobbying campaign that culminated in legislation authorizing the Interstate Highway system in 1956, this film shows community efforts to improve and increase safety on the Bayshore Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area; congestion in Pittsburgh and the Golden Triangle redevelopment area; the economic benefits of Boston's circumferential highway, Route 128; and safety education in St. Joseph, Missouri. Narrator: Westbrook van Voorhis.

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[oldgringo2001]

101 still sucks, but it used to be really dangerous: Back in the sixties, they "widened" it from three lanes to four by just repainting the lines between lanes. Everybody called it the Bloody Bayshore. Anyone with brains takes 280 instead. There's an incredible stretch of 280 with nothing but parkland for miles and miles; check it out using Google Maps or Google Earth. I used to drive it about every other day before I retired.

[passatboi]

We couldn't imagine it with traffic lights now. And it's so built up that there's no open space around it. Interesting to see how it looked back then.

[passatboi]

So funny to hear it referred to as the "Bayshore Highway" now. It's been the Bayshore Freeway (101 Freeway) since shortly after this was made.