After a $2.3 billion widening project, traffic once again chokes the Katy Freeway's 23 lanes. For road spending critics who are also taxpayers, this I-told-you-so moment is bittersweet.
Texas certainly isn't the only state to spend billion after billion widening its highways. But at 23 lanes and counting, the Katy Freeway (part of the I-10 near Houston) is an exercise in extremes. An article from Streetsblog throws doubt on the project's value.
U.S. Representative John Culberson boasted that the expansion is "moving more cars in less time, [and resulting in] more savings to taxpayers than any other transportation project in the history of Houston." But according to a recent analysis, "Traveling from Downtown outbound on the I-10 Katy Freeway to Pin Oak took 51% more time in 2014 than in 2011."
The article calls for an end to this kind of "futile" spending and for wiser investment in alternative modes as Texas continues to grow.
FULL STORY: The 23-Lane Katy Freeway: A Monument to Texas Transportation Futility
Halted Interstate Expansion Could Proceed in Houston
Local and state officials have come to an ‘historic’ agreement that could move the stalled project forward.
When Will We Believe in Induced Demand?
The well-documented concept has yet to catch on in state departments of transportation, but acknowledging it could dramatically transform U.S. transportation policy.
Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities
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.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research