Do Highways Matter?

This report shows that highways do affect metropolitan development patterns and recommends that the federal government encourage regional transportation planning.

1 minute read

August 29, 2000, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Growing concerns about traffic congestion and rapid suburban expansion (also known as sprawl) have reignited interest in the ways in which highway spending affects metropolitan growth patterns. This discussion paper extracts the best evidence to date on how highway investments distribute growth and economic activity across metropolitan areas. The paper also offers ideas on how transportation financing and policies can better respond to the various costs and benefits of highway projects in a region.

Thanks to Chris Steins

Friday, September 1, 2000 in The Brookings Institution

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