Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Infrastructure

It’s a Lobby-palooza! Join MPC’s 43 Minutes for $43 Billion Infrastructure Push

By John Greenfield | May 17, 2016 | 1 Comment

Are you ready for (almost three-quarters of) an hour of power? That’s what the Metropolitan Planning Council has planned for Wednesday, May 18, at 11 a.m., when they’ll hold the 43 Minutes for $43 Billion transportation infrastructure lobbying jam session. They’re asking Chicagoland residents to call their legislators and contact leaders in Springfield to ask them […]

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The Highs and Lows of Hillary’s Bland Infrastructure Plan

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 1, 2015 | No Comments

We’re getting some insight into what White House transportation policy would look like in a Hillary Clinton administration, following the Democratic frontrunner’s release of a 5-year, $275 billion infrastructure plan yesterday. It’s not exactly a visionary plan, but despite its blandness it’s still likely to be DOA if Republicans retain control of Congress as expected. Clinton’s “briefing” calls for $275 […]

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Study: Most Roads Don’t Pay for Themselves

By Angie Schmitt | May 4, 2015 | No Comments

Most American roads — even the most highly trafficked — are financial losers. That’s a major finding from a new study by the Center for American Progress [PDF]. A financial analysis by the think tank found that about four out of 10 U.S. highways don’t carry enough traffic to generate sufficient revenue to pay for their maintenance […]

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You Can Help Make State DOTs Accountable for How They Spend

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 27, 2015 | No Comments

Pressure is mounting on the president and Congress to keep roads and bridges from falling apart by increasing transportation funding. But a big part of the problem is states, which receive the lion’s share of federal transportation funds but opt to spend most on new roads, instead of maintaining existing infrastructure. Between 2009 and 2011, states spent just […]

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The Indiana Toll Road and the Dark Side of Privately Financed Highways

By Angie Schmitt and Payton Chung | Nov 18, 2014 | No Comments

This is the first post in a three-part series on the Indiana Toll Road and the use of private finance to build and maintain highways. In September, the operator of the Indiana Toll Road filed for bankruptcy, eight years after inking a $3.8 billion, 75-year concession for the road with the administration of Governor Mitch Daniels. […]