Recent Streetsblog USA posts about State DOTs

Pennsylvania seeks to widen I-83 in York County, but funds for the costly project would be better spent on operational improvements such as crash prevention. Image: PennDOT

Boondoggle: Keystone State’s 1-83 Expansion

By Gideon Weissman and Matthew Casale | Jun 27, 2019 | 6 Comments

Pennsylvania is moving forward with a plan to spend $300 million in order to widen I-83 in York County to eight lanes from four. But project documents fail to show how the project will solve any problems or bring clear benefits to the region.

The High Desert Freeway could overburden desert ecosystems, altering the landscape and straining scarce water resources. Image: California Dept. of Transportation

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Highway Boondoggle: Golden State’s Desert Destruction

By Gideon Weissman and Matthew Casale | Jun 24, 2019 | 8 Comments

California's $8-billion, 63-mile “High Desert Freeway" north of downtown Los Angeles would lead to more driving and more pollution, along with sprawling desert development.

The North Houston Highway Improvement Project will expand already vast swaths of highway
through the middle of Houston, displacing homes and businesses and dividing communities.
Image: Texas Dept. of Transportation

Boondoggle: A Texas-Sized Mess of a Highway Plan

By Gideon Weissman and Matthew Casale | Jun 19, 2019 | 11 Comments

Deadly and sprawling Houston does not need this $7-billion widening and rebuilding highway project.

The proposed “Complete 540” highway through the southern suburbs of Raleigh would divide
neighborhoods and encourage sprawl. Image: North Carolina Dept. of Transportation

Boondoggle: N.C. Road Expansion Disaster

By Gideon Weissman and Matt Casale | Jun 19, 2019 | 7 Comments

It's the first of nine installments! This edition focuses on North Carolina’s plan to complete the southern half of a loop highway around Raleigh. It's a boondoggle with epic environmental repercussions.

States Aren’t Even Trying to Reduce Traffic Deaths

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 13, 2019 | 10 Comments

Most states are aiming for more traffic deaths under a new federal program requiring them to set targets.

Traffic. It's what happens when there's not enough transit.

New Tool Makes it Easy to Estimate Added Travel from New Highway Lanes–in California

By Melanie Curry | Mar 26, 2019 | No Comments

Research on California highways shows that adding highway lanes induces more travel; this tool shows how much, on which roads, where.

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