Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Post

"The proposed law (A4120/S1981) would establish a goal of 20-percent fewer vehicle miles traveled, or VMT, over the next 25 years, following the lead of other states like Minnesota and Colorado, which has helped agencies in both states out west free up more of their transportation dollars for transit projects, and bike and pedestrian spaces, the letter notes. 'In real terms, this means both departments factor in miles traveled by cars into infrastructure decisions and prioritize investments that reduce single occupancy vehicle mileage,' reads the letter. 'This means projects that expanded cycling infrastructure, pedestrian walkways, and public transit were prioritized over outdated highway expansions and lane widening.'" https://lnkd.in/e-5N5NKQ

After attending UCLA and spending years struggling to live car-free in the city, I am thrilled by City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Metro's investment in expanding transit; however, it begs the question of whether the ridership demand is actually there. On top of the fact that Angelenos love their cars as much as their local taco truck (mine is El Chato), many of the metro/light rail lines run through sprawling areas that are industrial or low in density. As a result, current ridership is sparse and inadequate for sustaining Metro service long-term. It seems that LA is banking on the fact that development (and residents/riders) will follow once these transit routes are more established. So, for all my movie buffs, the question is: If you build it, will they come? The Build More Housing Near Transit Act of 2023 as well as U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's and U.S. Department of Transportation's commercial-to-residential conversion efforts will make it easier for developments to pop-up where transportation already exists, especially in areas where there are commercial corridors like here in LA. This act will prioritize and award more Federal Transit Administration funding to projects that adopt pro-housing policies like zoning for density/apartments and eliminating parking requirements. This bill must pass Congress first, and even then, it will be uncertain as to how effective these efforts will be. I'm optimistic, and I dream of the day when LA can be more livable car-free! #transportation #transitorienteddevelopment

Could a "less-than-complete removal" of I-794 be the key to enhancing our city's future? Bob Monnat, Senior Partner of Mandel Group, weighs in on the freeway's impact and proposes some thought-provoking solutions. From reducing overpass construction to reclaiming city streets, this article sparks a fresh perspective on urban design. Check out the article to dive into the conversation about reimagining our city's intersections.

Safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists are forthcoming. 🚶🚲 Boulder, Colorado, is set to implement safety measures following a $23 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program. Nationwide grants, totaling $817 million, are part of the $5 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supporting road safety programs and strategies across the U.S. in cities like Madison, Wisconsin, and Philadelphia. The planned enhancements, including marked crosswalks, beacons, and protected lanes, are likely to create safer urban environments, encouraging more sustainable modes of transportation. Click the link below for the full scoop! #RoadSafety #Grants #SafetyMeasures

Interesting discussion here about when and where to build roads. Focus on the IH-35 plan in Austin in comparison to other cities and times.

This in-person event will provide an opportunity for the public to review proposed transportation improvements, previously presented in a Virtual Open House held in January 2023, and discuss them with members of the Project Team. Potential environmental and community impacts of these alternatives will also be shared. The I-71/75 and I-275 interchange is critical to the flow of traffic throughout Northern Kentucky, and to those who live and work nearby. Currently, it’s carrying more than twice the level of traffic it was originally designed to handle. That, coupled with traffic merging to and from KY 236 (Donaldson Highway/Commonwealth Avenue), Turfway Road, Buttermilk Pike, and other major roads, has resulted in increasing amounts of congestion and travel delays.  As Northern Kentucky continues to experience rapid growth, particularly within Boone County and in areas near the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), KYTC warns that congestion and traffic delays will continue to worsen unless improvements are made. Based on detailed engineering and environmental studies, KYTC has identified a Recommended Alternative which includes a series of improvements centered on the central I-71/75 and I-275 interchange and several other nearby interchanges: I-71/75 and Turfway Road, I-71/75 and KY 236 (Donaldson Highway/ Commonwealth Avenue), I-71/75 and Buttermilk Pike, and I-275 and Mineola Pike.

A massive project to rebuild and widen Interstate 77 between uptown and South Carolina is becoming even more expensive — perhaps making it more likely the state will turn to a private developer to build and manage it. The NCDOT has long planned to add two state-operated express toll lanes in each direction from uptown Charlotte to the state line. But because the highway runs through the heart of the state’s largest city, widening it from six lanes to 10 will be costly. Every bridge over I-77 would likely have to be torn down and rebuilt. And almost the entire 12 miles of the highway would need to be redone because of the topography; steep drop-offs next to much of the highway would require adjust the elevation of the adjacent land. Find out if and how this $3 billion project - likely the state’s most expensive highway project ever - might realistically get done. 📷 Photo from Google Street View Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e89Rc9Kc #thecharlotteledger #transittime #cltledger #WFAEWFAE

Reliable, accessible transportation should be a priority for metro areas nationwide, let alone Indianapolis. This lack of access negatively impacts communities and leads to more pedestrian deaths and lack of economic mobility. https://lnkd.in/gXtwQ3S9

The New York Times | Megan Kimble The basic principle linking wider highways to more carbon emissions has been well understood since the 1960s. Back then, an economist rebutted the prevailing assumption that adding lanes would fix traffic, showing instead that wider roads only increased the number of cars and made congestion worse. This phenomenon came to be called ‘induced demand.’ https://lnkd.in/gy9_Q6MK In 2022, the head of Colorado’s Department of Transportation called off a long planned widening of Interstate 25. The decision to do nothing was arguably more consequential than the alternative. By not expanding the highway, the agency offered a new vision for the future of transportation planning. In Colorado, that new vision was catalyzed by climate change. In 2019, Gov. Jared Polis signed a law that required the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent within 30 years. As the state tried to figure out how it would get there, it zeroed in on drivers. Transportation is the largest single contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for about 30 percent of the total; 60 percent of that comes from cars and trucks. To reduce emissions, Coloradans would have to drive less. After sustained lobbying from climate and environmental justice activists, the Transportation Commission of Colorado adopted a formal rule that makes the state transportation agency, along with Colorado’s five metropolitan planning organizations, demonstrate how new projects, including highways, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If they don’t, they could lose funding. Within a year of the rule’s adoption in 2021, Colorado’s Department of Transportation, or CDOT, had canceled two major highway expansions, including Interstate 25, and shifted $100 million to transit projects. In 2022, a regional planning body in Denver reallocated $900 million from highway expansions to so-called multimodal projects, including faster buses and better bike lanes. In 1958, the year that Interstate 25 opened to traffic, the Colorado State Highway Department constructed the sweeping interchange connecting Federal Boulevard to Colfax Avenue and demolished more than 240 homes and businesses in the process. That project, which shaped the city for half a century, might now be undone. In March, CDOT was awarded a federal grant to remove the cloverleaf and rebuild the street grid, complete with storefronts and apartment buildings full of people…. #SDGs #WalkableUrbanism #TimelessUrbanism