Freeway Fighters Digest (week of 11/18)

Lauren MayerWeekly News Digest

Hi all,

Here is what is being said about freeway fighting this week. If you come across any articles, feel free to share and please let me know if you have any questions.

Join us for our next Freeway Fighters Monthly Meetup. The meeting is on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at 4:00 – 5:00pm ET. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85374450268.

Freeway Fighters News

I-35 expansion project: Austin officials show off new renderings
FOX 7 Austin November 15, 2024
The city of Austin is giving a visual update on its Cap and Stitch program. 

Downtown Detroit Partnership makes recommendations for I-375 rebuild
FOX 2 Detroit November 16, 2024
As the state gets closer to finalizing the design for its massive I-375 removal project in Detroit, one of the city’s biggest stakeholder groups are making recommendations on how to best approach the task.

ReConnect Rondo: Restoring the Rondo neighborhood
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder November 16, 2024
The construction of Interstate 94 (I-94) pierced through the heart of the Rondo neighborhood, devastating the community. 

Voters closed the Great Highway to cars. Uh, now what? 
The San Francisco Standard November 16, 2024
San Francisco voters gave their assent to Proposition K, a controversial ballot measure to permanently close the central section of the Upper Great Highway to cars.

New York City revives congestion pricing plan to end gridlock
MSN November 16, 2024
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gave the green light Thursday to relaunch the drive for congestion pricing in New York City, a first-in-the-nation plan aimed at reducing gridlock by imposing a $9 toll on most vehicles entering the core of Manhattan during peak hours.

Bridging Divides: The Crucial Role of Collaboration in Highway Removal
Planetizen November 17, 2024
Highway removal is having a moment.

Reps. Torres, AOC Join to Oppose Hochul Effort to Widen Cross Bronx Expressway
Streetsblog NYC November 18, 2024
Talk about a Bronx cheer.

Judge Upholds Concerns for Impact of Kensington Tunnel Project
WYRK November 19, 2024
In an unexpected announcement late Friday, State Supreme Court Judge Emilio Colaiacovo issued a ruling that the New York State Department of Transportation failed to sufficiently consider the environmental impacts of a proposed project that would put a cap over a portion of the Kensington Expressway heading into downtown Buffalo

The Traffic Model Deceit: How Highway Agencies Manipulate Data to Justify Wasteful Expansion
The Good Men Project November 20, 2024
In the world of urban planning and transportation policy, few issues are as contentious — or as consequential — as highway expansion.

Transforming Portland: How a Demolished Highway Became a Pioneering Waterfront Park
ArchDaily November 20, 2024
Urban landscapes are shaped by the infrastructure we prioritize, reflecting the needs and values of society at a given moment in time. 

Baltimore requests $100 million to start reforming the ‘Highway to Nowhere’
The Baltimore Banner November 21, 2024
A blighted West Baltimore highway that many have dreamed of tearing out is mostly going to stay put.

How the IIJA is funding increased transportation carbon emissions
Smart Cities Dive November 21, 2024
The White House celebrated the three-year anniversary of the infrastructure law in a Nov. 15 statement, noting that it has funded over 11,400 bridge repair projects and improvements to over 196,000 miles of roads.

Austin’s $1.4B plan to build amenity decks on I-35 could be scaled back
Community Impact November 21, 2024
Plans to bridge an expanded I-35 through Central Austin could be scaled back given climbing costs for a series of proposed caps and stitches, or highway decks, with city leaders set to decide the project’s next steps in December.

I-35 caps plan reconsidered as cost estimates soar by 61%
KUT.org November 21, 2024
Austin’s transformational plan to cover parts of Interstate 35 with parks and public spaces, intended to bridge the divide between east and west neighborhoods, is facing a financial reckoning as estimated costs soar and city staff warn the project could drain cash from other priorities.