This is a largely unintended consequence of states with lower populations and resources focusing on repairing existing roads and infrastructure rather than expanding and building new roads.
There’s a difference in how urban and rural areas invest in their transportation infrastructure — and it’s not what you might think.
According to a report from Transportation for America, “Rural, conservative states seem to be pushing through projects that will yield less carbon emissions in the long term compared to their more progressive urban counterparts.”
As Benton Graham explains in Bloomberg CityLab, this is due to the fact that rural areas are by and large investing in maintenance and repairs of existing roads and infrastructure rather than expansion projects. “Based on projects that have been funded through the bipartisan infrastructure law so far, the report concludes that states like Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming will see a net reduction in emissions compared to the pre-IIJA baseline because they have invested big chunks of their infrastructure money toward simply fixing their existing roads with resurfacing projects.”
Even in states where lowering carbon emissions is not a priority, low populations mean there’s little demand to expand roadways. Meanwhile, some highly urbanized states continue to invest in highway expansion in lieu of other solutions to congestion. “While Florida and Texas fare the worst in future emissions rankings, California is also in the bottom six, and its infrastructure reflects that.”
FULL STORY: The Urban-Rural Divide Over Highway Expansion and Emissions
The Infrastructure Law Could Increase Transportation Emissions
With so much funding going to highway construction and expansion, the 2021 law could add 69 million metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere in the next two decades.
Opinion: California Must Walk the Walk on Transportation Emissions
While state leaders tout their climate goals at COP28, residents back home continue to fight highway expansion projects that induce traffic and increase emissions.
Infrastructure Funding Could Lead to Higher Carbon Emissions
Billions in federal infrastructure funding slated to go to states with few strings attached could fund roadway construction and widening projects that will raise greenhouse gas emissions and worsen climate change.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Has Anyone at USDOT Read Donald Shoup?
USDOT employees, who are required to go back to the office, will receive free parking at the agency’s D.C. offices — flying in the face of a growing research body that calls for pricing parking at its real value.
EPA Terminates $116 Million in Grants for Reducing Emissions from Construction Materials
C-MORE grants were earmarked for industry trade groups and universities.
BART Closes $35 Million Deficit
Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.
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