The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 (also known as the Bankhead–Shackleford Act and Good Roads Act), Pub.L. 64–156, 39 Stat. 355, was enacted on July 11, 1916, and was the first federal highway funding legislation in the United States. The rise of the automobile at the start of the 20th century, especially after the low-price Ford Model T in 1908, created a demand for better roads on a national level. The act provided federal subsidies to road-building efforts.