Highways
Trump to allow infrastructure along highways, railways in bid to bypass reviews
By building lines close to existing infrastructure, Trump aims to lower costs and bypass environmental oversight and opposition from local communities.
Milwaukee mayor abandons highway removal plan
Mayor Johnson spoke in opposition to a proposed plan to turn part of I-794 into an at-grade boulevard, expressing concerns about traffic.
Alabama DOT wants to fill wetlands for interstate project
The Birmingham Northern Beltline would run roughly 52 miles through forests and wetlands that are home to multiple endangered species.
LA Metro Increases Highway Expansion Budget by 40%
Metro has plans to expand freeways including the 5, 105, and 405, among others.
New Jersey Governor Kills ‘Boondoggle’ Highway Expansion
Gov. Sherrill ‘right-sized’ the Newark Bay Bridge reconstruction project, nixing a second proposed bridge and road expansion.
Report: Land Under US Highways Could Earn Over $5 Billion in Property Taxes Yearly
An analysis of 142 U.S. cities reveals the economic potential of land used for highways.
February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Transit agencies like BART and TriMet face lingering budget shortfalls, forcing major service cuts and layoffs, while federal plans to ban fare-free transit throw a wrench in NYC Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to make the city’s buses ‘fast and free.’
Tracing the Destruction of the Highway Baltimore Never Built
In “Road to Nowhere: How a Highway Map Wrecked Baltimore,” historian Emily Lieb demonstrates how the mere threat of a highway project, combined with systemic redlining and predatory real estate practices, can dismantle a community just as effectively as physical construction can.
Florida Highway Will Include Wireless EV Charging Segment
The roadway uses magnetic coils to transfer power to EVs, potentially reducing the need for bulky batteries.
New Tool Uncovers Exact Costs of Downtown Highways
A new research tool can help cities calculate the economic potential that could be unlocked by replacing highways with other uses.
$5 Billion Atlanta Toll Lane Project Moves Ahead
The project is funded by a private group that will collect future toll revenue for the first 50 years after the new toll lanes open.
‘Route 66 Rewind’ Uses AI to Bring Historic Route 66 Sites to Life
The “Route 66 Rewind” AI hub seeks to support the preservation of America’s “Mother Road” by inviting users to go on a virtual road trip along the U.S. Route 66.
Opinion: Minnesota ‘Buttonhook’ Project a ‘Highway Engineer’s Fever Dream’
Charles Marohn argues that building six new roundabouts to preserve access to big box stores and strip malls is an ineffective way to reduce traffic.
How a Truck Tax Could Save the Highway Trust Fund
The freight trucking industry is a prime candidate for a mileage tax that would boost road maintenance revenue.
Alabama Community Sues State DOT Over Flooding
Residents of Shiloh, Alabama want to hold the state department of transportation responsible for flooding caused by a highway expansion project.
Disconnecting Communities: Measuring the Social Impacts of Freeways
Research from 50 major U.S. cities shows social connections are weakest in neighborhoods where highways are present.
Highway Removal Slowed by Outdated Policy, Lack of Committed Funding
Resistance from state transportation departments and precarious funding sources mean highway removal projects are few and far between, despite their benefits.
Freedom to Move: Investing in Transportation Choices for a Clean, Prosperous, and Just Future
This Union of Concerned Scientists study examines why and how to improve resource-efficient travel options to achieve diverse goals. It estimates that more efficient transport could save up to $201 billion in energy and $128 billion in health costs.
Greenways Plus Highways: A Deadly Combination
The design of intersections between major roadways and bike and pedestrian paths can have fatal consequences.
Bridging Divides: The Crucial Role of Collaboration in Highway Removal
Highway removal is most successful when agencies at all levels of government work closely with each other and the impacted community.
Pagination
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.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello