Here is what is being said about the Highways to Boulevards movement this week. If you come across any articles, feel free to share and please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you, Freeway Fighters, for helping us reach 199 members! Your participation in this network has helped create a broad coalition of public and private sector leaders, community activists, multidisciplinary professionals, and more dedicated to championing design, equity, and policy principles that center people before highways. Help us reach our 200 member milestone by sharing our signup form with any potential Freeway Fighter you know. Thanks for all your hard work and we’re so excited to see where we go from here!
Highways to Boulevards news
Biden’s infrastructure bill to heal Black areas split by highways – Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Thomson Reuters Foundation News February 26, 2022
A rowhouse at Glenn Smith’s old Baltimore address is still standing – decades after he was forced out to make way for a grand highway project that never happened.
Durham-Chapel Hill long-range plan eliminates many highways | Raleigh News & Observer
The News & Observer February 26, 2022
The organization that does transportation planning for Durham and much of Orange County wants the state to spend less on building new freeways and widening existing ones.
Oregon Republicans threaten to walk away from I-5 expansion if Washington fuel tax moves forward
Bike Portland February 26, 2022
When Interstate Bridge Replacement program administrator Greg Johnson was briefing the project’s equity advisory group earlier this week about the negotiations over a transportation package in Washington State, he told them the IBR was not “at the center” of those negotiations.
Driving on the Right: America’s Polarized Transportation Policy
Governing.com February 26, 2022
For a lot of Americans outside of cities like New York, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, most people don’t use transit.
Imagining the Twin Cities without I-94 | MinnPost
MinnPost February 26, 2022
Over the years, every time I’ve even hinted at the possibility of removing I-94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul, I’ve been met with blank stares.
The time is now to build ‘world-class infrastructure’ in south Phoenix, residents say – AZCentral
AZCentral February 28, 2022
The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, which sits alongside light-rail construction at Central and Watkins avenues, was a tranquil foil to the rustling of cars and construction trucks rushing by.
Proposal to replace I-94 with a boulevard between Minneapolis and St. Pau
Bring Me the News March 1, 2022
As officials weigh the future of Interstate 94 through the Twin Cities, some are pushing to replace it altogether.
Cities Should Study Black History Before Spending Federal Infrastructure Funds — RISMedia
RISMedia March 1, 2022
State and local governments will soon receive an influx of federal cash from the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, signed into law in November 2021.
Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities | Planetizen News
Planetizen March 1, 2022
The proposed freeway expansion in downtown Houston has faced searing backlash from local residents who see the project as a relic of the era of rampant freeway construction and neighborhood disruption.
Why the Concept of Induced Demand Is a Hard Sell
Governing.com March 1, 2022
Both the public and policymakers have trouble understanding why building more roads and highways does not reduce congestion.
Staving off potential climate impacts from $1 trillion infrastructure bill – FreightWaves
FreightWaves March 1, 2022
A recent New York Times article discussed how infrastructure funding in the U.S. could increase carbon emissions if measures aren’t in place to prevent that
Rip out I-94, start again? As MnDOT preps ‘Rethinking I-94,’ a once-radical idea gains fans
Pioneer Press March 2, 2022
When San Francisco’s double-decker Embarcadero Freeway was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1989, the city chose to rip it out entirely.
50 groups ask Pritzker to focus federal funding on sustainable, equitable transportation …
Streetsblog Chicago March 2, 2022
Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker generally has a decent record on sustainable transportation. But while he’s talked about wanting to make our state a leader in the fight against climate change, he has a frustrating blind spot when it comes to highway expansion.
Biden administration recognizes states’ highway spending role, Buttigieg says | Reuters
Reuters March 3, 2022
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will tell a U.S Senate committee on Wednesday that the Biden administration recognizes the role of states in deciding how to prioritize using federal highway funds.
Partisan cracks emerge over how to implement $1T infrastructure law | TheHill
The Hill March 3, 2022
Partisan fissures emerged Wednesday during a Senate hearing about how to implement the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package signed into law by President Biden last year.
Induced Demand Is Hard to Explain – But It’s Crucial to Get It – Streetsblog California
Streetsblog California March 3, 2022
For years, researchers have talked about the concept of “induced demand,” pointing out that when highways are widened so they can carry more cars, they end up creating more congestion
US PIRG March 3, 2022
The U.S. system of transportation finance is broken.
When Will We Believe in Induced Demand? | Planetizen News
Planetizen March 4, 2022
The well-documented concept has yet to catch on in state departments of transportation, but acknowledging it could dramatically transform U.S. transportation policy.