Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Highway Revolts

New York State has selected the "community grid alternative," illustrated on right, to replace the aging I-81 viaduct that goes through downtown Syracuse.

Street Grid to Replace Old I-81 in Syracuse, NYS Decides

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 22, 2019 | 19 Comments

New York State says it will tear down an elevated highway in Syracuse and replace it with a walkable street grid.

The Claiborne Expressway in New Orleans is the nation's top candidate for a highway teardown, says the Congress for New Urbanism. Photo: The Advocate via CNU

The Top 10 U.S. Highways that Should be Torn Down

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 4, 2019 | 46 Comments

Aging highways present opportunity for cities to rebuild urban neighborhoods. Here are the top 10 highways that are ripe for teardown, according to CNU.

Indiana DOT wants to widen a highway through historic Indianapolis neighborhoods near downtown. Locals are fighting back. Image: Urban Indy

Indiana DOT Wants to Double Down on 1960s-Era Urban Highway

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 30, 2018 | 19 Comments

The bad old days -- when we torn down urban neighborhoods to build highways -- aren't really behind us.

The neighborhoods east of downtown Dallas in 1963, before the construction of I-345, and in the present day (note: the photos are not taken from the same perspective). Top photo: Tom Dillard/Dallas Morning News; bottom photo: Streetfilms

Texas DOT Open to Burying Highway That Cuts Through Dallas

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 18, 2017 | 8 Comments

Though it's not the highway teardown advocates want, TxDOT is now considering putting 1.3-miles of I-345 underground.

Wisconsin is backing off a $1.1 billion highway widening that civil rights advocates said would exacerbate racial segregation in the region. Image: WisDOT

Meet the Lawyer Taking on Wisconsin’s Highway Lobby — And Winning

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 12, 2017 | 5 Comments

To combat racial segregation and disparities in public health, attorney Dennis Grzezinski is confronting the state's penchant for road expansion.

Wisconsin Decides It Can Live Without $1.1 Billion Highway Widening After All

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 5, 2017 | 12 Comments

Wisconsin does not, in fact, possess infinite resources to spend on highways.

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