Lessons from community activists around the country provide insight into how ‘freeway fighters’ can leverage recent momentum against road expansions to have more impact in 2023.
Writing in Streetsblog USA, Ben Crowther, Aaron Brown, and Martha Roskowski outline the goals of ‘freeway fighters’ for 2023, noting the successes of the past year, when federal officials finally began centering the equity impacts of transportation planning and promoting policies that purportedly work to address them, such as the Reconnecting Communities Act.
“But rhetoric (and a small pot of money) aside, the reality is that in 2022, not a single highway was removed to reconnect communities. Moreover, only three major highway expansions were dropped: the 710 Freeway in Los Angeles County and I-25 and C-470 in Denver.”
The article describes five key ways that freeway opponents can be successful in their efforts for freeway removal. These include nationwide coordination with other activists that can lead to federal legislation and support for freeway removal efforts; clear and effective communication strategies to assuage common concerns; access to more legal and traffic modeling expertise; collaboration with community organizers; and funding from state and federal transportation agencies.
FULL STORY: Freeway Fighters List Their Top Five Needs For 2023
Freeway Removal Projects Gain Momentum
Thanks to decades of activism and newly available federal funding, state and local governments are starting to understand the negative impacts of highway construction and working to reverse the effects on cities around the nation.
USDOT Awards Reconnecting Communities Grants
The first $185 million in grants were awarded to projects that aim to improve mobility and reconnect neighborhoods isolated by highways and other infrastructure 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.
In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.
Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.
Off-Peak is the New On-Peak
Public transit systems in major U.S. cities are starting to focus on non-rush hour travelers as pre-pandemic commuting patterns shift and transportation needs change.
The New Colorado River Deal: An Explainer
According to one analyst, the agreement approved by the states doesn’t go nearly far enough to protect the river in the long term.
Research Indicates the Large Potential Benefits of Parking Cash-Out Laws
‘Free’ employee increases driving. Parking cash-out laws reward commuters who use climate-friendly modes, which increases fairness and reduces traffic problems.
Through the Eyes of a Journalist: Megan Kimble Reflects on Covering Food Systems, Zoning Changes, and Highway Projects in the Southwest
Kimble’s interest in topics related to urban planning spawned from research and writing about food systems in the borderlands of Arizona. She then moved to Austin in the midst of the city’s update of its Land Development Code.
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
Code Studio
TAG Associates, Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Knox County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
