Highways
Federal Government Awards Reconnecting Communities Grants
States and cities received over $3 billion in grant funding aimed at redressing the damage caused by freeways.
The Infrastructure Law Could Increase Transportation Emissions
With so much funding going to highway construction and expansion, the 2021 law could add 69 million metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere in the next two decades.
New York State DOT Invests Heavily in Highways Over Transit
So far, the department has allocated 90 percent of its federal transportation funding to road projects and less than 1 percent to transit.
Friday Eye Candy: America’s Most Scenic Abandoned Highways
Unused roadways provide opportunities for exploration and recreation.
Streetsblog’s Best and Worst of 2023 Transportation
While American roads didn’t get much safer by the numbers, new policies indicate a shift toward a more sustainable transportation future.
Opinion: California Must Walk the Walk on Transportation Emissions
While state leaders tout their climate goals at COP28, residents back home continue to fight highway expansion projects that induce traffic and increase emissions.
The Nation’s Most Wasteful Highway Projects
The 2023 Highway Boondoggles report is here.
New Highways Are Still Tearing Communities Apart
Residents of a historic Black South Carolina town are being displaced by a road widening project.
‘Divided by Design’ Underscores Inequities in Transportation Policy
The report calls for a wholesale overhaul of U.S. transportation policy to redress the damages caused by decades of auto-centric development.
Survey: Americans Don’t Support Road Expansions
U.S. transportation policy, which still heavily centers automobile infrastructure, is increasingly out of step with the majority opinion, according to a new survey from Transportation for America.
The Limitations of ‘Reconnecting Communities’
The Biden administration has pledged to correct the damage imposed on communities by highways and infrastructure, but many projects are only committing to minor improvements, not transformative changes.
Federal Government Awards Over $1 Billion to Nine ‘Mega’ Projects
The funding comes from a discretionary grant program aimed at supporting infrastructure projects too massive or complex for traditional funding mechanisms.
Republican States Challenge Highway Emissions Plan
A federal proposal that would require states to monitor and set targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions, praised by Democrats, is being called “unworkable” by many Republican states.
Colorado DOT Defends Highway Maintenance
While the department has canceled some road expansion projects, the agency has no plans to remove highways, calling them the “bread and butter” of the state’s transportation network.
Op-Ed: Michigan Needs a New Transportation Strategy
One writer calls on the state to stop expanding roads and channel funding to projects that support Michigan’s sustainability goals.
Boise’s New Planning Director Warns Against 'Dysfunctional Highways'
On the heels of his stint as Atlanta’s planning director, Tim Keane says Boise should avoid following in the path of American cities that have let highway expansion and sprawl go unchecked for decades.
Residents Call for Highway Removal in Seattle Neighborhood
As more planners begin to question the value of urban freeways, communities that have long borne the negative impacts of highway construction are fighting back with data.
Top Republicans Encourage Governors to Ignore FHWA Guidance
Senators McConnell and Capito reject the administration's efforts to steer federal funds to infrastructure projects that prioritize road maintenance and transit and pedestrian improvements over new road construction.
How Policymakers Are Grappling With the Racist Legacy of Urban Freeways
In Michigan, the state's Department of Transportation is looking for ways to mitigate the damage caused by decades of urban renewal policies and reconnect neighborhoods cut off from amenities and opportunities by highway projects.
Snowstorm That Stranded Thousands Prompts Questions About Auto-Centric Development
After thousands of motorists spent over a day on a snowbound Virginia highway, experts are warning that auto-centric sprawl will worsen the impacts of extreme weather events.
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.
City of Albany
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
