'Intelligent Transportation' threatens privacy.

The federal government increasingly is taking over more and more aspects of the transportation infrastructure from both private firms and local governments.

Speed-cameras and radio-frequency toll tags just aren't enough for some bureaucrats when it comes to tracking and tracing Americans on the highways. It seems a little-known agency ensconced within the Department of Transportation has a plan to track every car on every road, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

The Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program (ITSJ) Office was recently exposed by the weekly Creative Loafing newspaper in Charlotte, North Carolina: "[ITSJ] envisions a future in which massive databases will track the comings and goings of everyone who travels by car or mass transit." Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended a couple months ago that every car in the United States be fitted with a "black box" - i.e., a data recorder taking note of "speed, seat belt use, braking and other factors."

Travelers are increasingly trapped inside a federal monopoly.