Texas Department of Transportation

A view of a large water tower, with the words and logo of Fort Worth, looming over a wide freeway.

Advocates Hope the Next Texas Freeway Widening Won’t Be the Like the Previous

Community Design Fort Worth, a nonprofit collective of planners and designers, is pushing the Texas Department of Transportation to do something revolutionary with its plans to widen Interstate 30.

June 26, 2022 - Fort Worth Report

I-45 and I-69

A Freeway Rebellion Rises in the Unlikeliest of States: Texas

“There’s no train, there’s no bus, there’s no anything that supports mass transportation. It doesn’t exist.” -Houston resident Fabian Ramirez.

May 2, 2022 - The Guardian

Downtown Houston overlooking Interstate 45.

Contentious Houston Freeway Widening Project Inches Forward

Federal officials have given TxDOT the go-ahead to resume work on a small portion of a controversial interstate widening project in downtown Houston.

December 5, 2021 - The Houston Chronicle

Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas

Austin Leaders Denounce 20-Lane Freeway Project

TxDOT is pushing ahead with plans for a massive freeway expansion project through downtown Austin despite opposition from virtually all local leaders.

October 27, 2021 - Slate

Atlanta Traffic

Why Don't State DOTs Believe in Induced Demand?

Despite evidence that widening roadways is only a temporary solution to congestion, a decades-long inertia leads states to continue pushing expansion projects against local opposition.

October 6, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Aerial Texas Hill Country at sunset, with an aerial view of a highway interchange and Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas.

Austin Interstate Expansion Plan Draws Opposition

A proposal to widen I-35 has drawn criticism from community members who want to see the city shift away from car-centric development.

September 15, 2021 - Texas Signal

Toll Road

Texas Ends Contract With Toll Road Operator

Citing "lackluster service," the department will be seeking a new technology provider.

August 31, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

A map of the Keep It Moving Dallas feasibility study area along the I-345 Freeway in Dallas.

Columnist to Dallas: Tear Down That Freeway

Freeways have been removed before, but if the Texas Department of Transportation decides to tear down the I-345 freeway in Dallas, it would reflect a massive sea change in urban transportation planning.

August 26, 2021 - The Dallas Morning News

Aerial Texas Hill Country at sunset, with an aerial view of a highway interchange and Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas.

TxDOT Moving Forward With Plan to Widen I-35 in Austin

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) wants to spend $4.6 billion to expand Interstate 35 in Austin despite alternative plans proposed by local groups.

August 18, 2021 - KUT

CityMap Deck Park

TxDOT Promises to Reverse Some of the Damage Caused by Urban Freeways in Dallas

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is in the early stages of planning for two projects that could leverage plans to rebuild two freeways in the city with plan to reconnect the neighborhoods they severed.

June 8, 2021 - The Dallas Morning News

Junction of U.S. Route 59 and Interstate 10, Houston, Texas

I-10 Widening Project Continues in Texas

The current work will expand the freeway to three lanes in each direction and shift a notorious bottleneck farther west.

May 20, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Texas

Austin City Council Urges TxDOT to Reconsider I-35 Expansion

In a letter to the department, the city called for an increased focus on shifting demand away from single-occupancy vehicles and boosting other forms of transportation.

April 1, 2021 - KVUE

View south along Interstate 45 (North Freeway) from the ramp between westbound Interstate 10 and southbound Interstate 45 in Houston, Harris County, Texas

TxDOT Faces Lawsuit from Harris County Over I-45 Plan

The lawsuit over the controversial I-45 project, which has been plagued by local opposition, calls for a new environmental review.

March 15, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

I-45 and I-69

TxDOT Approves I-45 Widening Despite Local Opposition

Despite every manner of local opposition, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing forward with a plan to widen Interstate 45 north of the city of Houston, demolishing and displacing thousands of homes, businesses, and community facilities.

February 7, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Traffic Safety

70,000 Road Deaths in 20 Years: Texas Struggles With Traffic Safety

Texas has had a road fatality every single day for 20 years.

November 25, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

Highway Widening

A Texas Freeway Revolt

The thirst for urban expansion and new highway capacity hit a roadblock on the fringe of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolis.

November 19, 2020 - D Magazine

Texas Freeway

TxDOT Wants to Build the I-35 Capital Expressway to 20 Lanes

After releasing "public scoping" details for a massive widening project in Downtown Austin, a writer slams the Texas Department of Transportation for its car-centric approach to transportation planning.

November 17, 2020 - Austin Towers

Houston, Texas

Environmental Study Released for $7 Billion Houston Highway Project

The final environmental impact statement for the controversial North Houston Highway Improvement Project is available for public comment, courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation.

September 29, 2020 - Community Impact Newspaper

Highway Construction

Tolls Not Included: Toll Proposals Keep Ending Up in the Dustbin in Texas

Another example of the growing political and planning opposition to the idea of tolling new roads in Texas.

September 22, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

I-45 and I-69

I-45 Widening Plan Nears the Finish Line in Houston

The public is getting a chance to give feedback on the city's proposed changes to a project that would realign and widen Interstate 45 near downtown Houston.

January 30, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.