|FHWA > Highway History > Addressing the Quiet Crisis > Section
7| Addressing the Quiet Crisis: Origins of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 One casualty of NEPA was the
era of personal mediation. During the 1950's and 1960's, State
highway officials decided the location of Interstates by
selecting the best route on the basis of geography, cost,
economic benefit, directness of routing, minimum disruption of
homes and businesses, political factors—all outside the public
view. When controversy arose, Federal and State highway
officials met to decide on the routing that would be eligible
for Interstate funds. Federal Highway Administrators John A.
Volpe (1956-1957), Tallamy, and Whitton, and their chief
engineer, Frank Turner, often met with State officials to decide
on routing. Decisions might be made in formal settings, but
could just as easily be made informally. For example, a diner
near the site, with maps spread out amidst coffee cups and
ashtrays, was sometimes where Federal and State highway