USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

General Highway History

Left Nav - History

Where was the First Walk/Don't Walk Sign Installed?

You Will Not Find the Answer Here

The Highway History page recently received an inquiry about where the first Walk/Don't Walk sign was installed. This question has come up before, but we've never been able to find the answer. Our research helped pin down the time frame (...

U.S. 666: "Beast of a Highway"?

On May 31, 2003, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials approved a new number for the remaining segments of U.S. 666 in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. At the request of State transportation officials, the route became U.S. 491, a spur of U.S. 191....

The Lincoln Highway

by Richard F. Weingroff

On July 1, 1913, a group of automobile enthusiasts and industry officials established the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA) "to procure the establishment of a continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, open to lawful traffic of...

William T. Coleman, Jr. - 1920-2017

By Richard F. Weingroff

Former Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman, Jr., passed away on March 31, 2017. He served as Secretary from March 1975 to January 1977.

Born in Philadelphia, Coleman was an attorney who worked with Thurgood Marshall of the NAACP...