Winter brings snowy conditions to roads in many cities, and many react with snow-melting salt solutions. But the physical and environmental damage of salt is leading some to look for other means of fighting the freeze.
From soil erosion to car corrosion to drinking water pollution, salting roads has a variety of unintended consequences. Those negatives are leading some cities to look for newer (though often more expensive) solutions.
"Growing awareness of the many hazards that come with road salt has some municipalities making tough decisions. Salt is an affordable and highly effective method to prevent traffic accidents and keep the local economy from coming to a grinding halt in the event of a snowstorm. But its costs also include wildlife loss, soil erosion, road damage and contaminated freshwater supplies. Sand may seem a reasonable alternative to salt, but many communities have stopped using it because it clogs sewers, muddies waterways and is costly to clean up. There are safer, albeit pricier, alternatives that communities are trying out. On certain roads and bridges in West Virginia, calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) is used instead of salt because it is noncorrosive to metals and nondestructive to concrete and other highway materials. Another salt alternative is potassium acetate (KA), which is gentler on the environment and on road and highway materials."
FULL STORY: Salty Cities: Why Communities Are Trying New Ways to Clear Snowy Roads

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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