Billed as a "bridge replacement," the latest iteration of the Columbia River Crossing project is a costly expansion that will impose new tolls and cost upwards of $5 billion, according to an article by Joe Cortright.

Writing in City Observatory, Joe Cortright criticizes the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project as "vastly oversized and over-priced, with current cost estimates ranging as high as nearly $5 billion (before cost-overruns)." The project, a joint venture between the Oregon and Washington transportation departments, is now billed as a "bridge replacement," a euphemism that Cortright claims obscures the true impact of what amounts to "a massive freeway expansion."
According to Cortright, the project is "a five-mile long, 12-lane wide freeway that just happens to cross a river" that will cost $5 billion and impose $5 round-trip tolls on drivers. "While the agency is hinting at the possibility of “design” tweaks—it’s apparent that their plan is to simply recycle the failed CRC proposal."
FULL STORY: The real “I-5” project: $5 billion, 5 miles, $5 tolls

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
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San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

U.S. Rental Market Crosses a New Threshold of Affordability
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Supreme Court Guts the U.S. EPA’s Ability to Limit Carbon Emissions
The consequences of this ruling have long been foretold. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now officially barred from the fight against climate change, Congress will have to act to reduce carbon emissions.

California Approves Revised Los Angeles Housing Element
State officials officially approved the city’s housing plan, which was initially rejected for not doing enough to enhance housing equity.

Lawsuit Could Open Public Access to Colorado Rivers
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Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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