In need of an underground overhaul, the Capital Beltway exemplifies the deteriorating conditions of 1/3 of the nation's roadways.
The Capital Beltway, like many of the nation's roads built more than 50 years ago, is in a state of invisible disrepair. Beyond just a surface facelift, it needs underground repairs, which would require tearing out several lanes at once and working during night hours to avoid rush hour traffic. Nearly 2/3 of the Beltway's 64 miles are in Maryland, which recently passed a transportation bill.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the U.S. needs to spend an average of $250 more per person per year to provide long-term fixes to the nation's crumbling roadways, nearly a third of which need immediate attention.
To make up for the federal government's foray into austerity, states have adopted transportation plans that include gas and sales tax increases. They will need to triple transportation spending in order to bring roads up to date, writes Ashley Halsey III.
But is repairing the tens of thousands of roadways nearing the end of their life spans the best use of increasingly scarce transportation funds?
FULL STORY: Beneath the Surface, the Beltway Crumbles
Massachusetts Gov. Makes Case for Road Funding Reforms
A package of proposed bills would change the state’s road funding formula to ensure more money flows to rural areas with limited resources.
Report: Michigan's Roads Go from 'Poor to Terrible'
Michigan—the state that spends less per capita on its roads than every other state—just got bad news about the state of its roads. Will it be enough to convince voters to pass a sales tax initiative to generate $1.2 billion in funding for roads?
Opposition to Transportation Sales Tax Rides BRT in Gainesville
The Alachua County Commission and the Gainesville City Commission are considering a countywide referendum to raise sales tax revenue for transportation projects. Road repair is an easy political win, but bus rapid transit...not so much.
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.
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.
The New Parisian Hearse is a Bicycle
Sleek, silent, and sustainable, a green trip to the graveyard has hit the streets of the French capital.
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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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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