Texas Department of Transportation

View of traffic on Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas.

Austin Freeway Expansion Fight Continues

Opponents of the project have filed another lawsuit in hopes of halting the widening of Interstate 35.

February 1, 2024 - KUT

Green road sign with "Welcome to Texas" above Texas flag and "Drive Friendly - the Texas Way" below.

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.

November 7, 2023 - Texas Tribune

Aerial view of Interstate 35 with blurred traffic and Austin, Texas skyline in background with river in foreground at nighttime.

Austin in Race Against Time to Secure Freeway Cap Funding

With a major freeway expansion project looming, the Texas capital is seeking federal funding to build several freeway ‘decks’ downtown.

September 27, 2023 - Austin American-Statesman

An electric vehicle is plugged into a charging station. A sticker reads “charge America” on the station.

Texas Planning a Statewide Electric Vehicle Charging Network

The Texas Department of Transportation has a plan to leverage federal infrastructure funding for electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state.

August 21, 2023 - MRT

Aerial view of five-level freeway interchange in Houston, Texas with bridges spanning green bayou.

Texas Approves $100 Billion Road Building Plan

The state is making a record investment in expanding and maintaining roads and highways, including an expansion of Interstate 10 and new managed lanes in Houston.

August 17, 2023 - Houston Chronicle

Austi city skyline with freeway in foreground

Letter Reveals Changes to I-35 Expansion Plan in Austin

In addition to new HOV lanes and a proposed boardwalk, TxDOT agreed to engineer the freeway for caps in some areas, but the city would have to fund their construction.

August 7, 2023 - KUT

"Welcome to Texas" road sign with Texas flag and "Drive Friendly - the Texas way" slogan

Report: Austin’s State Roads Deadlier Than City Roads

Traffic fatalities and serious injuries grew on state-owned roads in the Texas capital, even as city-owned streets saw death rates plateau.

June 6, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of Interstate 35 bridge over river into downtown Austin, Texas with skyline in background

Controversial Highway Widening Breaks Ground in Austin

Texas’ transportation priorities were on display in March—a few days after the gutting of a transit plan, a highway expansion broke ground depite years of local opposition.

April 3, 2023 - KUT

Dusk view of blurred car lights passing on freeway with Houston skyline in background

How Houston’s Highways Impact Neighborhoods

A chapter in a new book highlights how highway construction forced changes and caused displacement in communities that included public housing developments.

March 13, 2023 - Next City

Aerial direct overhead view of I-35 freeway in Austin, Texas

Austin City Council Calls for Changes to Interstate Widening Plan

Legally powerless to stop TxDOT’s plans for freeway expansion, Austin city leaders hope to influence the agency to take some mitigation measures as it widens I-35.

March 1, 2023 - KUT

View of Houston freeways and downtown skyline in the background against blue sky with white clouds

In Houston, Housing Loses Out to Freeways

TxDOT plans to demolish hundreds of apartments for its interstate widening project despite local calls to preserve the buildings as affordable housing.

February 17, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Rendering of freeway deck over Interstate 10 in El Paso

El Paso Freeway Cap Linked to Road Expansion

A deck reconnecting neighborhoods divided by the interstate is part of a controversial freeway expansion proposal.

January 27, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

A view of Houston's freeways, with downtown in the background.

Rising Costs Threaten TxDOT’s $85 Billion Highway-Building Plans

Texas Transportation Commissioners must have a hangover—backing off its highway building ambitions just a few months after approving the $85 billion Unified Transportation Plan in August 2022.

January 3, 2023 - Houston Chronicle

A man operates a yellow roller to smooth out fresh pavement on a road.

Construction Set to Begin on $1.6 Billion Highway Widening in Texas

Construction is expected to begin on the Southeast Connector highway widening project near Fort Worth in the spring and wrap up in 2027.

December 8, 2022 - The Dallas Morning News

Highway sign with "Stop the strak of TX traffic fatalities" against blue sky

Texas Road Safety Messaging Blames Pedestrians, Ignores Structural Flaws

Critics of the state’s ‘Be Safe. Drive Smart.’ campaign say the messaging puts the onus on pedestrians and cyclists while failing to address the lack of robust pedestrian and bike infrastructure in many of its cities.

December 4, 2022 - Next City

View of Houston buildings over White Oak Bayou

Proposed Park Yet Another Hurdle for Houston Interstate Expansion

The Interstate 45 widening project, halted by a federal order and opposed by many local officials and organizations, could hit a new snag if White Oak Bayou becomes a city park.

November 25, 2022 - Axios

Aerial view of Interstate 35 bridge over river into downtown Austin, Texas with skyline in background

Highway Expansion Moves Forward in Austin Despite Local Opposition

The Texas Department of Transportation plans to build an elevated freeway segment as part of its plan to widen Interstate 35 through central Texas.

November 17, 2022 - KUT

Street-level view of Broadway Street, San Antonio, Texas

TxDOT Blocks San Antonio Bike Lanes

The agency argues that the city cannot introduce lane reductions on a state road, putting a long-planned bike lane project in jeopardy and superseding local decisionmaking.

September 13, 2022 - Governing

A view of Houston's freeways, with downtown in the background.

Texas Announces $85 Billion in Road and Highway Construction Projects

Texas recently announced a historic commitment to automobile infrastructure.

September 6, 2022 - Texas Department of Transportation

Aerial view of Dallas freeways

TxDOT Recommends a 10-Lane ‘Infrastructure Grave’ in Dallas

Rather than removing the freeway altogether, which the Texas Department of Transportation calls ‘unfeasible,’ the agency recommends burying the road in a billion-dollar, ten-lane trench through the city’s downtown.

July 12, 2022 - Strong Towns

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