Without Funding, State Transportation Projects Stall

Thousands of transportation projects across the country are being temporarily halted or canceled completely due to lack of funding. More than 40 states have been forced to cut back on transportation projects.

1 minute read

January 4, 2009, 7:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has identified 5,000 transportation projects nationwide that lack the dollars to proceed; many of them, like the $730 million project here to add 10 miles of high-occupancy-vehicle lanes to the 405 Freeway - Mr. Schwarzenegger's backdrop on Monday - have been stopped midstream."

"'They just haven't been able to find the resources,' Tony Dorsey, the spokesman for the association, said of the halted projects."

"More than 40 states are struggling with revenue shortfalls, and lawmakers across the country are cutting, taxing and pleading their way toward solvency. Fixing bridges, expanding highways and other infrastructure projects have faced the same fate as government entitlement programs, state jobs and other items."

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 in The New York Times

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

November 11, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking and cycling on a street in Boston.

Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking

New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.

November 8, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Mamdani speaks behind a podium in a navy suit.

DSA members accuse Mamdani of 'abandoning values' over housing redevelopment

New York City's mayor plans to replace about 2,000 units of public housing with private, mixed-income housing.

7 hours ago - Gothamist

Streetview of Colorado boulevard, a multi-lane road with trees on either side.

All sides of BRT debate unhappy with CDOT’s most recent move

The Colorado Department of Transportation is no longer considering center-running bus lanes for Colorado Boulevard.

November 12 - 9 News

Solar panels above a cranberry boy, with workers collecting berries.

Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries

Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

November 12 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.