Highway Expansion
Streetsblog Basics
Highway Planners Pause to Consider the Effect of Road Widening on Detroit Neighborhoods
Standard practice for the highway planners at state DOTs is to sacrifice all other concerns at the altar of fast car traffic. Nowhere has the effect been more obviously detrimental than Detroit, where the overbuilt freeway system helped hollow out one of America’s largest cities. But highway planners in Michigan are starting to listen to people who say they want something different.
June 19, 2017
Is Portland Losing Its Resolve Against Highway Expansions?
In the 1970s, some American cities revolted against highway expansion and kept the worst excesses of the interstate construction spree in check. Those cities tend to be the most walkable and transit-oriented places in the nation today. But in Portland that legacy is in jeopardy.
April 5, 2017
Highway Projects Won’t Save the Rust Belt
Highway mega-projects remain tempting to struggling cities and regions in the Rust Belt. But evidence shows they shift economic activity away from existing business districts and don't generate lasting improvements.
March 28, 2017
How a Toledo Mom Stopped a Destructive Road Widening
Dana Dunbar was new to transportation policy and activism. But that didn't stop her from waging a successful grassroots campaign against a road widening in her neighborhood.
March 27, 2017
Why Is Portland’s Transit Chief Advocating for More Highways?
After suffering an embarrassing defeat a year ago, the Oregon highway lobby is rattling the can for more money again. They have a list of highways they want to widen, and they say Portland's economy depends on it. In addition to the usual suspects, the highway cheerleaders include Neil McFarlane, general manager of TriMet, the regional transit agency.
February 23, 2017
Elon Musk’s “Plan” to Cure Traffic With Tunnels Is Terrible and Ridiculous
Musk's plan isn't new or innovative, and it wouldn't even solve the problem it's supposed to address.
February 7, 2017
Tampa Advocates Are Fighting Like Hell Against a $6 Billion Highway Plan
Grassroots advocates in Tampa are going up against Florida DOT in a highway expansion standoff with huge implications for the future of the city.
January 31, 2017
If Trump Wants to “Fix It First,” a Big Spending Spree Won’t Cut It
It's hard to pin Donald Trump down on policy issues. But let's take one of his recent infrastructure pronouncements literally and see where the implications lead.
January 27, 2017
Wisconsin Highway Costs Exceed State DOT Estimates By Nearly 100%
Highway costs have nearly doubled WisDOT's projections, and the overruns will be even bigger for projects that are still in the works. But Governor Scott Walker isn't interested in reining in highway spending.
January 27, 2017
Cuomo’s Priorities: $2 Billion to Cram More Cars on the Van Wyck
While New Yorkers deal with slower buses and a subway system stretched to its limits, Andrew Cuomo is raring to spend $2 billion adding lanes to the Van Wyck. He says it will improve air quality, but that runs counter to everything we know about how highways work.
January 19, 2017
