Despite improvements on car technology and
increasing investment in mass transit, highways
still received majority of attention and funds.
1980: Motor Carrier Regulatory Reform and Modernization Act of 1980 passed. This act was basically designed to deregulate trucking industry. Trucking companies and the Teamsters Union over the years had developed a monopolistic structure and corrupt practices which cost the suppliers and consumer billions of dollars. Moreover, because of the regulations some companies were restricted to carry the freight of only certain assigned companies. This way, trucks often had to make long trips without being fully loaded and sometimes even empty. Following the act, shipping companies were able to find cargo for their trucks from other (outside) companies to make the trip loaded. This practice also helped to save billions of gallons of gasoline. Actually one of the initial aims of this act and its preceding deregulations by the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1978 was to reduce the foreign oil dependency – the country was still feeling the stress of oil shortages and high crude oil prices since the early 1970s. The act also set specific percentages for rate increases, which both the existing and new-coming companies had to respect.
By the end of 1980s, according to the records of Energy Information Administration, half of all the residential and commercial floor space in the United States was single-family detached homes.
Clearly, the trend still tilted towards suburbanization and the increase of private motor vehicle use. The foreign oil dependence climbed from 37 percent in 1980 to 52 percent in 1998. Between 1980 and 1991, the carrying capacity of arterial highways across the country increased 25 percent whereas the traffic volume on these highways increased about 60 percent, augmenting traffic jams even further (National Research Council 20). Despite such facts, of the $303 billion spent on transportation between 1980 and 1996, only 11 percent went towards mass transit systems (Gillham 106). The rest of the funds were put on motor vehicle oriented transportation systems, mainly highways.