A Tampa Bay Times columnist continues a crusade against the faulty projections that enable toll road construction projects in Florida, and the sprawling development patterns that follow.
"State officials justify a $6 billion interstate project by making a bold claim: It will ease gridlock throughout the Tampa Bay area," according to an article by Craig Pittman.
The Florida Department of Transportation is making those big claims for the Tampa Bay Express, a $6 billion toll road that would add 90 miles of toll lanes to highways in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. But according to Pittman, project planners have yet to produce traffic volume projections for the proposal. Moreover, according to Pittman, looking at the track record of the statd in building toll roads, "the forecast is almost certain to show that TBX will make money and ease congestion," and, "It will also most likely be wrong."
To prove that simple claim, Pittman only need look to the name of one of the companies paid to generate traffic projections for the project: Aecom. Aecom recently acquired long-time traffic projections consultant URS. According to Pittman, both have a track record of inaccurately projecting future traffic volumes. Pittman reported the details of that spotted track record for a similar story earlier this year—that time with the setting of Citrus County and a project called the Suncoast Parkway.
According to Pittman, the faulty projections used to justify toll road projects are hardly unique to the state of Florida, or the group of consultants it relies on to produce these numbers. The in-depth coverage inspired by the Tampa Bay Express example also ranges to other states, and examines the political context that enables this project and others like it.
FULL STORY: Why the outlook for Tampa Bay's $6 billion highway expansion is hazy
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.