The argument is being used to channel climate funding to projects that expand automobile infrastructure, according to an analysis from Transportation for America.

Federal funds aimed at reducing carbon emissions are being used for highway expansion projects, according to an analysis from Transportation for America. As Benton Graham explains in Bloomberg CityLab, the researchers used an AI model to identify projects that expand automotive infrastructure among roughly 60,000 projects nationwide.
The analysis found that a quarter of funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)’s Carbon Reduction Program (CRA) are being used for road projects that, according to the organization, “stand to embed high transportation emissions for decades, incentivizing driving and encouraging ever-more-sprawled-out development and land use patterns.”
State agencies, which decide how funds are allocated, claim highway expansions can reduce emissions and air pollution by improving traffic flow and adding energy efficiency upgrades. “But experts point to decades of evidence showing that adding lanes is no fix for congestion, thanks to the well-documented principle of induced demand.” In Houston, peak hour travel times increased three years after a massive $2.8-billion freeway expansion.
“What does work? Policies that deincentivize driving — think stiffer tolls, congestion pricing and zone-based driving fees like London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone, which charges drivers of high-polluting vehicles.”
FULL STORY: US Climate Funds Pay for Highway Expansion

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
County supervisors moved forward a proposal to build workforce housing on two county-owned parcels.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.
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