At 75, she didn’t think she’d spend her time fighting freeways, but that’s exactly where Susan Graham finds herself. Founder of Stop TxDOT I-45, Graham has been fighting highway expansion in Houston for almost five years — and she’s nowhere near done. (Get to know Graham before she brings her knowledge to the national stage at the Strong Towns National Gathering, May 14-15!)
Read MoreIn a frustrating move for road safety advocates, Washington, DC’s, Department of Transportation has canceled its plans to add bike lanes to a major city street. The decision comes after years of delays and despite the approval of all affected advisory commissions.
Read MoreThe Interstate 5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project in Oregon is the poster child for how departments of transportation deceptively package harmful highway expansion projects.
Read MoreWhy does TxDOT bother inviting Houston residents to come comment on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project…if they are going to make it so hard to actually do so?
Read MoreODOT wants to widen a highway in Toledo, OH. But continuing to make the highway bigger and bigger to solve traffic problems is about as effective as the story of the little old lady who swallowed a spider to eat a fly.
Read MoreA recent public health study out of Johns Hopkins has found that narrow lanes reduce crashes on streets, and recommends that lanes as narrow as 9 feet wide be the default.
Read MoreMaryland legislators have called for an infrastructure review of every crash that causes the death of a pedestrian or cyclist on state highways—but one local advocate is checking the state’s work, and there’s some problems with it.
Read MoreDOTs commonly justify highway expansion projects by claiming increased capacity will relieve traffic congestion and spur economic growth—but Toledo, OH, residents are busting these myths using ODOT’s own data.
Read MoreDetroit’s local leaders have long favored eliminating I-375, a sunken highway separating the eastern parts of the city from downtown…but MDOT’s plan to convert it into a six-lane road is not the future they envisioned.
Read MoreCGI rendering shows what the future of a street could look like if we put people first.
Read MoreFreeway fighters in California may have found a friend in Caltrans—if not for the fact that she was allegedly terminated for opposing two of the state’s forthcoming highway construction projects.
Read MoreDDOT lacks the tools and leadership to move aggressively to make DC’s streets safe, argue two advocates with local government experience.
Read MoreA billion bollards! That’s what we called for back in 2021—and one Strong Towns Local Conversation is answering the call. Now the Oregon Department of Transportation just needs to get onboard.
Read MoreA recent study shows that highway signs encouraging people to drive safer actually induce more crashes by distracting drivers.
Read MoreMore and more transportation agencies are incorporating the use of police crash reports to determine empirically if a road is safe. Here’s why that doesn’t work.
Read MoreNYCDOT is dangling the prospect of "park-like opportunities" in order to advance its latest highway expansion project, but New Yorkers aren't buying it.
Read MoreFor some, the Reconnecting Communities Program symbolizes an auspicious reversal of values that have characterized the past 70 years of transportation planning. For others, it's business as usual.
Read MoreWhat could it look like to have a USDOT committed to reversing course from the mistakes of the freeway era?
Read MoreWe were encouraged by what Pete Buttigieg was able to do as mayor of South Bend: slowing the cars, revitalizing downtown, and more. What can we hope for as Mayor Pete heads to the federal D.O.T.?
Read MoreA ruling last week in U.S. District Court has potentially profound implications for road widening projects. This podcast features an interview with Steve Hiniker, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, the plaintiff that prevailed in a recent lawsuit against the USDOT, WisDOT and others. We also speak with an appellate attorney, Mahesha Subbaraman, about details in the ruling and potential subsequent moves.
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