Buttigieg Promises to Undo Racist Freeway Policies

The U.S. Department of Transportation nominee acknowledged the impact the interstate highway system has had on communities of color and vowed to mitigate the damage.

2 minute read

January 3, 2021, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Los Angeles Freeway

Without the political capital and resources to fight freeway projects, poor communities bear the brunt of freeways' negative impacts on mobility and health. | Rafał Próchniak / Flickr

In a tweet following his statement accepting President-elect Biden's nomination for Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg promised to right the wrongs of the past, acknowledging that "Black and brown neighborhoods have been disproportionately divided by highway projects or left isolated by the lack of adequate transit." Buttigieg signaled that the Biden administration will seek to undo the damage done by prior federal policies and focus new efforts on ensuring more equitable outcomes.

The interstate highway system, one of the federal government's largest and most far-reaching transportation projects, has shaped the fate of cities with a heavy-handed, top-down approach that has isolated and displaced communities, impeded economic growth, and created public health crises in adjacent neighborhoods. Dismantling freeways is just one piece of the puzzle in undoing the damage of downtown expressways. New programs must work to restore affected communities without creating more burdens for Black and brown communities, writes Aaron Short. To achieve their goals and begin to address the decades-long structural effects of highway construction, the new administration will have to drastically shift federal funding for transportation infrastructure and ensure future policies put equity considerations first.

Urban planner Chris Sensenig, cited by Short in the source article, is optimistic that Buttigieg will deliver on his promises: "If the infrastructure bill is crafted to advance more than just the political interests of the few, we would hope that it would lead to investing in projects that further social and environmental justice issues."

Tuesday, December 22, 2020 in Streetsblog USA

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view of red brick multi-story power plant building in Pittsburgh, PA.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower

A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

July 4 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cyclist on protected bike lane in middle of street in Washington D.C. with Washington Monument obelisk visible in background.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”

The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

July 4 - Streetsblog USA

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business