highway expansion
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When Your State DOT Starts Talking About “Relieving Congestion,” Alarms Should Go Off
Georgia is looking to reduce congestion on the I-75/85 corridor in through downtown Atlanta, saying "no idea is off the table." But some ideas should be discarded right off the bat - like the notion that adding space for cars is going to solve the traffic problem.
July 11, 2017
Portland’s on the Verge of Fending Off Two Highway Widening Projects
In Portland, two road expansions with a combined pricetag of $1 billion seemed to be on the fast track for funding this year, with transit agency boss Neil McFarlane and city DOT chief Leah Treat lining up behind them, in addition to the usual road-building suspects. But it looks like the highway expansions are toast, at least for now.
June 29, 2017
How to Spot a Highway Boondoogle
With the Trump Administration purportedly gearing up to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure, it's time for a refresher on the perils of highway boondoggles.
April 18, 2017
Who’s Gonna Get Stuck With the Bill for Seattle’s Highway Tunnel Misadventure?
Seattle's massive downtown highway tunnel, originally slated at $3.1 billion, is now expected to cost at least $4 billion when all is said and done. Who's going to pay?
April 7, 2017
Atlanta’s I-85 Collapse — Another “Carmaggedon” That Wasn’t
When a heavily-traveled section of Atlanta's I-85 collapsed in a fire last week, the traffic predictions were dire. But the highway disruption appears to be another case of "carmaggedon" that never materialized -- and that should inform the way we plan our transportation systems.
April 4, 2017
Highway Projects Won’t Save the Rust Belt
Highway mega-projects remain tempting to struggling cities and regions in the Rust Belt. But evidence shows they shift economic activity away from existing business districts and don't generate lasting improvements.
March 28, 2017
How Racial Discrimination Shaped Atlanta’s Transportation Mess
Atlanta is a poster child for sprawl, and its transportation system certainly isn't what you would call resilient.
February 8, 2017
Elon Musk’s “Plan” to Cure Traffic With Tunnels Is Terrible and Ridiculous
Let's not pretend that Elon Musk's idea to bypass LA congestion by building a tunnel under the city -- first Tweeted out while he was apparently stewing in traffic -- is at all practical or worthy of serious consideration.
February 7, 2017
Wisconsin Highway Costs Exceed State DOT Estimates By Nearly 100%
Highway costs have nearly doubled WisDOT's projections, and the overruns will be even bigger for projects that are still in the works. But Governor Scott Walker isn't interested in reining in highway spending.
January 27, 2017
Trump Picks Road Industry Lobbyist to Lead Transportation Transition
So much for "draining the swamp." Under Donald Trump, it looks like the White House and Congress will be more infested with lobbyists than ever.
November 11, 2016