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Highways

Highways

The latest ideas, insights and action around ending highway expansion.

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Governing Like Caesar with Jesus in Mind: Why Cities Fail When They Plan Top-Down and Hope Bottom-Up

"Jane Jacobs ends through Robert Moses means" is the modus operandi of many planners and advocates. It's also a total misunderstanding of both the brilliance of Jacobs and the shortcomings of Moses.

Highways
Streets
Governing Like Caesar with Jesus in Mind: Why Cities Fail When They Plan Top-Down and Hope Bottom-Up
NYC’s Congestion Pricing Was Flawed—But Killing It Won’t Fix Traffic

The Trump administration’s elimination of congestion pricing was shortsighted, but NYC’s congestion pricing was deeply flawed from the start. If congestion pricing is ever going to work as intended, it needs to be revamped with the right priorities.

Highways
Streets
NYC’s Congestion Pricing Was Flawed—But Killing It Won’t Fix Traffic
How Much Does a Mile of Road Actually Cost?

The Federal Highway Administration has a chart full of answers to that question you might find useful.

Highways
Streets
How Much Does a Mile of Road Actually Cost?
The Hidden Cost of America’s Infrastructure Spending Habits

We're building something we know won't be here two decades from now.

Highways
Streets
The Hidden Cost of America’s Infrastructure Spending Habits
The Phantom Freeway That Won’t Stop Haunting Alabama

The Northern Beltline project has been haunting Alabama for over 50 years, draining money, time and energy from other more productive and desired projects. Here’s how it came about — and why it refuses to stay dead.

Highways
The Phantom Freeway That Won’t Stop Haunting Alabama
PennDOT’s Feelings Don’t Care About Your Facts

"By the time you hear of it, it's too late."

Highways
PennDOT’s Feelings Don’t Care About Your Facts
What Strong Towns Really Says About Infrastructure Spending

Are urban areas really more financially sustainable than suburbs? Do urban areas inherently have higher infrastructure costs? Here's what Strong Towns actually says about the Suburban Experiment and infrastructure spending.

Accounting
Highways
What Strong Towns Really Says About Infrastructure Spending
How an Opera Singer Joined the Fight Against Freeways

“Take the next step that’s aligned with your values, and let it unfold.”

Highways
Local Conversations
How an Opera Singer Joined the Fight Against Freeways
75-Year-Old Houston Advocate Refuses To Surrender to Highway Expansion Project

At 75, Susan Graham didn’t expect to spend her time fighting freeways — but after nearly five years leading Stop TxDOT I-45 in Houston, she’s nowhere near done.

Highways
75-Year-Old Houston Advocate Refuses To Surrender to Highway Expansion Project
The Mayor Who Tried to Stop a Highway

When Mike McGinn didn’t see any other mayoral candidates challenging a proposed highway expansion project in Seattle, he stepped up to the plate and won the election. This is the story of his ensuing fight to stop his city from making a costly mistake.

Highways
The Mayor Who Tried to Stop a Highway
Your Participation Is Encouraged, but Not Wanted

Highways
Your Participation Is Encouraged, but Not Wanted
It’s Always Too Late: How Freeway Fighters Are Kept out of the Conversation

“At the end of the day, there’s no formal process for integrating our feedback... So it’s a bit of a dog-and-pony show."

Highways
It’s Always Too Late: How Freeway Fighters Are Kept out of the Conversation
How Many People Have To Die To Make a Street Safer?

Three lives lost leaving a Massachusetts library; each one preventable, each one a reflection of systemic neglect.

Streets
Highways
How Many People Have To Die To Make a Street Safer?
Is There Hope for University Drive in Huntsville, Alabama?

An Alabama stroad is trying to serve too many functions at once. As a result, it's racking up a death toll.

Highways
Streets
Is There Hope for University Drive in Huntsville, Alabama?
In Philadelphia, the I-95 Collapse Is Igniting a Conversation About Transit

A tanker truck caught fire, killing its driver and devastating over 100 feet of Interstate 95 above it. With the highway decommissioned, how did people get around?

Highways
Streets
In Philadelphia, the I-95 Collapse Is Igniting a Conversation About Transit
For Houston Freeway Fighters, Federal Government’s Actions Speak Louder Than Words

The federal government promised to undo past harms. Advocates are disillusioned.

Highways
For Houston Freeway Fighters, Federal Government’s Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Advocates Across The State Convene to Un-stroad Louisiana

“We can’t just convert stroads into streets or roads... we need to change the land-use around these stroads."

Highways
Advocates Across The State Convene to Un-stroad Louisiana
Houstonians Deceived and Displaced

“Once surrounded by homes, the residents of Kelly Village now lived at the confluence of—almost underneath—two major highways."

Highways
Houstonians Deceived and Displaced
Progress Isn't Inevitable

"Cities can be so wonderful for so many people. Let’s not screw this up."

Accounting
Highways
Progress Isn't Inevitable
Highway Ramps Promised To Deliver Chester From Hardship. Residents Are Still Waiting.

Highways
Accounting
Highway Ramps Promised To Deliver Chester From Hardship. Residents Are Still Waiting.
TxDOT Chooses Highways Over Housing

Highways
TxDOT Chooses Highways Over Housing
How Oklahoma Families Learned a Turnpike Would Take Their Homes

Oklahoma residents discovered their homes were in the path of a massive highway expansion through local news, not official channels. Now a court has ruled the turnpike authority deliberately misled the public.

Highways
How Oklahoma Families Learned a Turnpike Would Take Their Homes
Everything Is a Safety Improvement

What exactly is it improving?

Highways
Everything Is a Safety Improvement
Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why.

Americans drove less during the early months of the pandemic, yet traffic fatalities increased. Experts thought fatality rates would've since reverted. That didn’t happen.

Streets
Highways
Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why.