L.A. Metro’s plan to add hundreds of miles of new traffic lanes is projected to increase carbon emissions by 10 million metric tons.
In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, founder of Streets for All Michael Schneider argues that despite a plan to build more than 100 miles of rail and new bus and bike lanes, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), with its current transportation plan, will encourage people to drive more miles.
According to Schneider, “just as Metro is spending tens of billions building rail and bus projects, it also plans to spend billions adding 363 miles of new highways and arterials. According to Metro’s own calculations based on state standards, this will increase vehicle miles traveled by up to 36.8 billion, and emit an additional 10.1 million metric tons of CO2”—more than three times the number of miles driven that Metro could eliminate through its. transit efforts. As Schneider puts it, “The expansion of highways will do far more harm than the expansion of mass transit will avert.”
Huge investments of the past have shown the folly of expanding highways to address traffic congestion. In the recent past, we spent $1 billion to add a lane in each direction onto the 405 in West Los Angeles. In less than 12 months, traffic had grown worse than it was before the project
Schneider writes, “If Metro is serious about building a more sustainable future, it must stop investing in expanding highways.” and instead invest in projects that make it easier for Angelenos to use transit, walk, and bike safely.
FULL STORY: Op-Ed: L.A. is spending tens of billions of dollars to make climate change and traffic worse
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Transit Riders Face the Highest Safety Risks in These 10 States
According to federal data, the average number of safety incidents on public transportation averaged 55.2 per 100,000 people across all states between 2010 and 2023. Which states came in well above the national average?
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
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