Car Dependence
Basics
Boondoggle: A Texas-Sized Mess of a Highway Plan
Deadly and sprawling Houston does not need this $7-billion widening and rebuilding highway project.
June 19, 2019
Ohio’s Poor Face Nightmarish Commutes
Being poor anywhere is hard — but in Ohio, a lack of transit forces families to choose between housing they can't afford and long, exhausting commutes keeping them from their loved ones, a new study reveals.
June 17, 2019
Texas Gov. Makes Life-Saving Red Light Cameras Illegal
Greg Abbott tweeted a video of himself allowing motorists free rein on Texas's already dangerous roads. His tweet was viewed 1.37 million times, and received 61,883 likes and 14,683 retweets, in 48 hours.
June 3, 2019
Seattle and Minneapolis: A Tale of Two Upzones
Dense, walkable cities mean more families can afford to stay, and public transport gets a boost. They’re also greener than suburbs, with their large homes and car-dependent multitudes. But changing zoning rules that break the car culture isn’t easy. A long read from our friends at Grist.
May 21, 2019
A Great Big Freeway — Thanks to Induced Demand
Los Angeles is getting what it paid for when it widened 10 miles of its most infamous freeways — another lane of traffic.
May 8, 2019
Study: Commutes are Longer When Cities Fail on Transit
Want to know why so few cities invest in transit? Because the vast majority of their residents — drivers — have much shorter commute times in their cars. A cautionary tale....
May 6, 2019
Midwest Will Raise Gas Taxes — And Make Everything Worse
If Midwest states shovel billions more into highway widenings (likely), it could just increase maintenance costs and further undermine their cities.
March 7, 2019
How Driving is Encouraged and Subsidized — By Law
Greg Shill, a law professor, attempted to itemize all the ways driving is legally favored in the U.S. Let's just say it's a long list.
March 6, 2019
Is Subprime Auto Lending the Next Housing Bubble?
Low-income people are increasingly being trapped in a cycle of debt by subprime auto lending. The American transportation system offers them few alternatives.
February 13, 2019
R.I. Takes Biking/Walking Funds for Highways
Almost one dozen biking and walking projects across the state of Rhode Island are in jeopardy after a state agency decided to transfer $27 million in federal money dedicated to active transportation to highways and administrative expenses over the next 10 years.
January 31, 2019
