Highway Widening

Highway 520

Washington Officials Want to Spend American Rescue Plan Funding on Highway Projects

Despite broader intentions, federal economic relief continues to get redirected to automobile-focused infrastructure.

February 1, 2022 - The Seattle Times

I-84 to I-5 Interstate Freeway in Portland Oregon with Long Exposure Vehicle Traffic Motion

Feds Toss the Environmental Assessment for Portland Controversial Freeway Widening Project

It's back to the drawing board for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

January 20, 2022 - The Oregonian

 Interstate 710 in East Los Angeles, California.

California Bill Could Ban Freeway Expansions in Underserved Neighborhoods

A proposed bill in the California State Legislature would bar the state from funding road construction in communities at risk for displacement and health impacts.

December 20, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Texas Highways

Freeway Expansions Continue to Threaten Black and Brown Communities

Despite calls to center equity in infrastructure projects, highway construction and expansion still disproportionately impacts communities of color, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation.

November 16, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

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

I-71 I-70 Columbus OH

The Most Unsafe Road in Ohio: A Five-Mile Stretch of Interstate in Columbus

Traffic safety analysis inspires debate about the culprit (drivers or engineers?) on the least safe stretch of road in the Buckeye State.

September 29, 2021 - The Columbus Dispatch

A map focused on the city of Lehi, Utah, showing Interstate 15, which runs through the city.

'Quality of Life' Award for Utah Freeway Widening Prompts Criticism, Debate

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently announced that the Utah Department of Transportation had won the "Quality of Life/Community Development" award. A social media pile on commenced.

September 28, 2021 - The Washington Post

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

Map showing I-270 Corridor Improvements Study Area

Colorado DOT To Study Air Quality Near I-270 Project—Residents Are Skeptical

The Colorado Department of Transportation has pledged to evaluate direct mitigation measures to reduce the impact of construction projects on nearby communities.

September 3, 2021 - Colorado Public Radio

Wide shot of bridge overpasses under construction at the intersection of GA 400 and I-285 on July 22, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.

Highway Widening and Interchange Improvements a Headache for Atlanta Drivers

A road widening and interchange improvement project in Atlanta will have a dramatic impact on congestion for as much as a year.

August 26, 2021 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

View east along Maryland State Route 927 (Montrose Road) at Interstate 270 (Washington National Pike) in Potomac, Montgomery Cou

Maryland Beltway Project Tentatively Moves Forward

The state transit authority has granted preliminary approval to the revised plan to expand the Capital Beltway and add new high-occupancy and toll lanes.

June 21, 2021 - DCist

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

Interstate Highway

L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan

The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.

June 7, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Colorado Interstate

Reconciling Highway Investments With Climate Plans

The Colorado Department of Transportation has plans to expand highways, but it also has a mandate to reduce emissions from the state's transportation systems. Is it possible to do both?

May 19, 2021 - Colorado Public Radio

Highway Widening

Maryland's Controversial Highway Widening Proposal Scaled Back

Interstate 270, the Capital Beltway, will no longer by widened as part of the I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes Project.

May 13, 2021 - Bethesda Magazine

I-5 Bridge

Opinion: Columbia River Crossing Just Another Highway Expansion

Billed as a "bridge replacement," the latest iteration of the Columbia River Crossing project is a costly expansion that will impose new tolls and cost upwards of $5 billion, according to an article by Joe Cortright.

May 12, 2021 - City Observatory City Commentary

Pennsylvania Trucks

PennDOT Sees Dollars for Interstate Widenings in Biden's Jobs Plan

Despite the narrative about infrastructure spending priorities shifting toward emissions-reducing investments in the American Jobs Plan, the car-centric status quo expects more of the same.

April 13, 2021 - CBS 21

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

Asphalt Road

Opinion: Washington State Should Stop Funding Freeways

The Urbanist's editorial board calls for an end to highway widening and an increased focus on walking, biking, and transit.

March 30, 2021 - The Urbanist

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