It’s time to recognize that we can’t maintain the roads we have now, and that continuing down the path of highway expansion is both unaffordable and unnecessary, writes Stu Sirota.
"The recent collapse of the I-5 bridge in Washington State is a stark reminder of the sorry state of our aging highway infrastructure. However, it is also a golden opportunity to begin a dialogue with the American public about a troubling issue that has not been adequately explained or discussed: our national transportation priorities are seriously outdated and are in dire need of reform."
"In short, we are continuing to waste enormous sums of tax dollars each year on the type of highway expansion projects that do little to ease traffic congestion problems over the long term and in fact often exacerbate them. Moreover, the high cost of new highway expansion is robbing us of the ability to restore our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and create a world-class transportation system for the 21st Century."
Read the full story: Our trillion dollar dirty little secret
Report: Some Rural States Ahead of More Urbanized Ones in Reducing Transportation Emissions
This is a largely unintended consequence of states with lower populations and resources focusing on repairing existing roads and infrastructure rather than expanding and building new roads.
State Transportation Leaders Call for Maintenance Over New Projects
Experts suggest departments facing budget gaps should prioritize basic repairs and maintenance over road-building and highway expansion projects.
Federal Carbon Reduction Funds Could Finance Highway Projects in Texas
Transit advocates say the state’s carbon reduction strategy reveals a continued preference for car-oriented infrastructure.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello