American transportation is stuck in a rut. For too long, we’ve relied on highway systems that pollute our air and cause social, economic, and physical harm to the people who live in their path. Highways perpetuate inequalities along the lines of race and class, built for commuting culture at the expense of the communities most vulnerable.

As we enter the seventh decade of the American experiment in highway building, it is no longer sustainable.

We need another way forward.

We, the Freeway Fighters Network, stand for a transportation revolution that centers people before highways. We call for the divestment from polluting highways and increased investment in green transportation infrastructure that integrates inclusive mobility and community development.

We advocate for a shift in transportation public policy that supports the following principles:

• a commitment to stop expanding highways and building new ones;
• the transformation of existing highways that damage communities into assets like city streets, housing, and green space;
• renewed investments in multimodal transportation systems in place of highways;
• parallel investments in community development that keep current residents in place to enjoy the benefits of a highway’s transformation;
• a priority to make amends to the people displaced or negatively affected by highway building.

We recognize that the investments in highways made during the 20th century have created a system of car-dependency that is difficult to disentangle, but until we do so, it is impossible to meet the 21st century climate and environmental challenges that threaten public health, economic vitality, and community stability.