Environmentalists and community groups are asking a federal judge to rule in their favor to require Maryland’s department of transportation to conduct a thorough environmental review before expanding Interstate 270.
“A group of environmentalists and historic preservation groups challenging the expansion of Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway in U.S. District Court have asked a judge to decide the case in their favor,” writes Danielle E. Gaines in Maryland Matters.
The lawsuit centers on environmental review: “The groups allege that the governments failed to adequately analyze potential public health harms from air pollution, effects on traffic, environmental impact to a Potomac River island, and damage to the Morningstar Moses Cemetery and Hall, a historic African-American burial ground adjacent to the Beltway.” The plaintiffs say the project “would cause harm to public health, natural resources, and historic places that were already impacted by the original Beltway construction in the 1960s.”
The I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes Project has been in limbo since the developer selected by the state for the project canceled its contract in March. Previously, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) halted the project before allowing it to move forward with revisions that scaled it back.
FULL STORY: Coalition petitions federal judge to halt Beltway expansion project
Maryland Beltway Project Tentatively Moves Forward
The state transit authority has granted preliminary approval to the revised plan to expand the Capital Beltway and add new high-occupancy and toll lanes.
Milwaukee Environmental Groups Sue to Stop Freeway Expansion
Groups including the Sierra Club say the expansion of I-94 would negatively impact communities of color and increase flood risks.
States Claim Highway Expansions Reduce Emissions
The argument is being used to channel climate funding to projects that expand automobile infrastructure, according to an analysis from Transportation for America.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
‘Quality Work, Fast’: NC Gears up for Homebuilding After Helene, Trying to Avoid Past Pitfalls
The state will field bids to demolish, repair and rebuild homes in the mountains. After struggles in eastern NC, officials aim to chart a different course.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions