Cities across the country are reevaluating the impacts of major highway on neighborhoods and looking for ways to revitalize and reconnect communities.
In a piece rich with visual aids and aerial photos that illustrate how cities looked before highways, New York Times writers Nadja Popovich, Josh Williams and Denise Lu ask "can removing highways fix American cities?"
Until recently, "[f]ederal and state funds have historically gone to building highways, not removing them." Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has acknowledged the unequal legacy of highway projects, saying that "there is racism physically built into some of our highways." To address this, President Biden's infrastructure plan proposes "$20 billion to help reconnect neighborhoods divided by highways."
San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway provides one of the country's oldest examples of successful highway removal. When the freeway was "irreparably damaged" by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the area was redeveloped into what is now a bustling pedestrian-friendly waterfront. "[I]n 2013, the city of Rochester, in upstate New York, won a nearly $18 million grant from the Obama administration that allowed it to take out an eastern segment of its sunken Inner Loop freeway, known locally as 'the moat.'" Since then, the area has experienced a transformation that includes new housing, bike lanes, and roads that connect more of the neighborhood to make walking more convenient.
"In recent years, more cities have started to seriously rethink some of their highways. The Congress for New Urbanism, a group that tracks highway removals, counted 33 proposed projects in 28 American cities." While plans for highway removal "could make life better for local residents as well as the planet," the proposals could also lead to displacement of vulnerable communities. "We need to figure out how to change without displacing people," says Dr. Garrick of the University of Connecticut. "The proposed Democratic legislation hopes to avoid that paradox. The bill would fund community outreach and engagement by local groups. And it prioritizes capital construction grants for projects that include measures like land trusts that would ensure the availability of affordable housing for local residents. "
FULL STORY: Can Removing Highways Fix America’s Cities?
Reimagining the Urban Freeway
With the new administration placing racial justice and equity at the forefront of transportation policy, will America finally reckon with the legacy of its freeways?
How Federal Funds Can Benefit Freeway Removal Projects
The recently passed infrastructure bill dedicates $1 billion to freeway removal and capping, but the sum is only a 'first step' toward redressing the injustices perpetuated by urban highway projects.
What Will Highway Removal Funding Actually Fund?
The federal Reconnecting Communities program is aimed at supporting highway removal and reversing the damage caused by rampant freeway construction, but some watered down proposals from state agencies could fund road expansion instead.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.
Opinion: Connecticut Vision Zero Bill A Step in the Right Direction
The proposed legislation could energize efforts to eliminate fatal crashes and fix the structural flaws that make roads inherently more dangerous.
Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.
Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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Sonoma County Transportation Authority
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