Highways
Transportation Research Helped Create Sprawl, New Report Says
We've been measuring traffic congestion all wrong, a new report shows, and that's been making more highways look like the solution to long commutes. They're not.
Who Killed the Streetcar?
It's an article of faith among many that GM, Firestone, and Standard Oil destroyed the streetcar networks of the early 20th century. Stephen Smith suggests that Progressive Era and New Deal planners and politicians should shoulder more of the blame.
Report Finds Driving Down, Roads In Good Condition
A new report from The Reason Foundation finds that the nation's roads and highways are in the best shape of the last 19 years. The authors contend that this fact is largely a result of fewer people driving due to the recession.
The Question of Interstate 69
Next American City reviews a new book by Matt Dellinger about Interstate 69, the as-yet-unbuilt highway that could create a direct link between the Mexican and Canadian borders.
Libertarians and Urbanism
Urbanists have rightfully been wary of libertarianism in the past, says Stephen Smith, but a new crop of Jane Jacobs-loving libertarians could change that perception.
The Most Dangerous Road in Georgia
Blueprint America reports from suburban Atlanta, where getting to the other side of the road is nothing to take for granted.
Using Highways to Make Biodiesel
Student Dallas Hanks saw unused land on the sides of highways being landscaped and thought the land could be used more effectively. His ideas have resulted in a project to grow crops for biodiesel on these embankments.
Ceding Local Control to Highway Planners
Roger Valdez looks back at the history of highways, and the switch from local control to state and federal control due to the burden of financing and maintaining roads.
Why New Highways Get Built While Existing Roadways Crumble
A new report from U.S. PIRG reveals how special interests tilts the playing field toward the construction of new and ever-wider highways at the expense of repair and maintenance.
Mega-Project Gets Miniaturized
Dwindling tax revenues force fiscal restraint in Maryland, where planners are shifting money from highway expansion to infrastructure maintenance.
Restoring an Olmsted Park in the Heart of Buffalo
Civic advocates in Buffalo, bolstered by upcoming NYSDOT study and a Mayor intent on change, consider ways to remove a blighted highway that cuts through the heart of the city and an Olmsted-designed park.
Support Builds For Highway Removal in Saint Louis
St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board formally endorses the removal of elevated and depressed lanes of current I-70 ROW to reconnect city and arch grounds.
California's Roads and Highways Remain 'Unspeakably Bad'
In another unsurprising study, California's roads and highways are ranked nearly last, and said to be the worst in urban areas.
Highways Devastating the Amazon
The greatest threat to Brazil's Amazon Rain Forest is not just farming or logging, but the road construction that makes both possible, writes Stephanie Brault.
Taking to the Road? More Power to You
Two inventors explain devices that would allow energy to be harvested along highways and from the highways themselves.
Wetland-Clearing Highway Project on List for Texas Stimulus
A 14-mile road segment that would connect two highways in Texas is a contender for stimulus funding in the state. But it would also cause the removal of at least 23 acres of wetlands. Environmentalists are upset the proposal is being considered.
Highway Teardowns Benefitting Traffic Flow and City Life
The Infrastructurist offers four case studies of cities that have removed highways. The result: less congestion.
Majority of Stimulus Spent on Roads
States are spending the vast majority of federal stimulus money on building or repairing roads and highways, according to a new study.
Should Fuel Taxes Pay For Alternative Transportation?
Planetizen has teamed up with National Journal, a weekly politics and policy magazine, to explore transportation issues. As part of National Journal's Transportation Experts blog, we've asked Planetizen Interchange bloggers and National Journal's Transportation Experts whether money from the Highway Trust Fund should be used for non-highway projects like bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.
The Los Angeles Traffic Problem, From Above
Photos of LA from above showcase the city's traffic patterns.
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
