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.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service