The euphemism refers to a cost-saving measure that's happening even in central districts, to the chagrin of residents. This reversion to gravel roads is one manifestation of a looming local infrastructure deficit.
On some streets in Omaha, Mitch Smith writes, the city is simply unpaving heavily potholed streets in response to a $300 million backlog on road repairs. This follows a long period of repair delays. "For years, an uneasy truce persisted: Public works crews would fill potholes and perform other maintenance work on those roads, but insisted that residents pay if they wanted repaving."
City Hall justifies this stance by stating that many of these suburban roads were low-quality to begin with. "Omaha's policy on unimproved roads is a matter of equity. When the houses were built two generations ago with subpar streets [...] the builder and homeowner saved money."
All of this has residents in an uproar, and some have taken legal action. Reputation is one factor: as central Omaha improves in many ways, unpaving streets looks bad.
Omaha's example is extreme, but similar backpedalling is happening elsewhere too. "In Youngstown, Ohio, officials closed off some uninhabited streets. In Gary, Ind., some of the city's parks could close — a process city officials call 'renaturing' — after years of neglect. And in one Michigan county, a deteriorating bridge was torn down, not replaced."
FULL STORY: Omaha’s Answer to Costly Potholes? Go Back to Gravel Roads
America's Infrastructural Reckoning
Through the lens of Henry Petroski's new book, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why infrastructure, as we have come to define it, is such a fraught topic in American life.
Crack in Bridge Connecting Arkansas to Tennessee Comes With Consequences, Debate
Goods movement on the Mississippi River, as well as truck traffic on a key interstate, has ground to a halt after a crack was discovered last week in a bridge on Interstate 40 connecting to Memphis.
Roads and Bridges Are Not Crumbling
Rebutting the argument that roads and bridges are "crumbling" and should be our first infrastructure priority.
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.
The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.
Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.
USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie