A survey of recent planning decisions demonstrates that cities are no longer necessarily looking to more and bigger highways to solve their traffic problems.
An op-ed in The New York Times by Justin Gillis and Hal Harvey posits that two recent events in transportation planning demonstrated that "[b]oth the public and a few of our bolder political leaders are waking up to the reality that we simply cannot keep jamming more cars into our cities."
The first event cited is the L.A. region's decision not to expand the 710 freeway, and the second is a German court’s decision that diesel cars could be banned in city centers, should a city wish to ban them. The article also mentions congestion pricing in London (and discussions of it elsewhere), license-plate lotteries in China, and two highway expansion projects in the United States that did not decrease traffic — as they never do.
"We are revealing no big secrets here," they write, "Urban planners have known all these things for decades."
“But the planners had little clout as their bosses — city and state politicians — cowered before the demands of drivers. What we might be seeing, at last, is a shift in the public mood, a rising awareness that simply building more lanes is not the answer.”
FULL STORY: Cars Are Ruining Our Cities
Report Criticizes El Paso Interstate Expansion Plan
An independent review of TxDOT's proposed expansion of I-10 through downtown El Paso highlights several flaws and a price tag close to $800 million.
L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan
The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.
If You Build It, Cars Will Come: the Common-Sense Logic of 'Induced Demand'
Highway expansion has been shown, time and again, to increase traffic and congestion. Cities are finally getting the message.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.
Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.
USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
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.
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