The New York City roadway is desperately in need of repair, but just tearing it down and replacing it would be a shortsighted fix.

Justin Davidson ponders the future of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which he would like to see come down for good rather than just replaced with the same:
So far, the city’s DOT has floated two, more or less equally horrendous options: make piecemeal repairs, causing eight years of Munch’s Scream-level congestion, or commandeer the Brooklyn Heights Promenade as a temporary highway and tolerate a different kind of misery for a mere six years.
Concerns about traffic congestion and what would happen to freight vehicles using the BQE if it went away completely should not be used to defend a replacement project that, conservatively, would cost $3 billion to $4 billion, says Davidson. Instead, he argues for a long-term vision that considers where transportation is headed—in terms of technology and travel modes—and goals like sustainability.
Davidson also spends time considering the stacked design of the BQE and the park and public space of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Burying the roadway, he suggests, would be a good alternative for reclaiming this space, even if a tunnel would be costly and time consuming. "To anyone who ever sat for hours, fumigated and immobilized, on the I-93 [in Boston] at rush hour, being able to stroll along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, which follows the same route, is a major urban gift."
FULL STORY: Here’s a Solution for Fixing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway: Get Rid of It

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.

Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties
International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.

$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit
The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.

Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut
The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
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Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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