The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway might cost $4 billion, the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway $16 billion, and the Utah I-15 expansion $3.7 billion.
The U.S. funds and expands highways as other countries invest in greener infrastructure due to global warming and a shift away from autos. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group's November “Highway Boondoggle” report, at least seven federally sponsored highway building and expansion projects nationwide would cost approximately $16 billion in fiscal year 2023.
The Gorham Connector in Maine, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the I-15 expansion in Utah, and the I-10 expansion in Texas will “harm communities and the environment, while likely failing to achieve goals such as reducing congestion or improving safety,” the report says.
And more. The Texas Department of Transportation review study states that Austin wants to spend $4.5 billion widening I-35 through the city center later this year, potentially displacing over 140 houses and businesses. Some attempts are underway to reduce roadway damage to neighborhoods and the environment.
The Biden administration awarded more than $3.3 billion in funds to address highway-related community displacement this month. More than 132 towns will receive this money to reconnect by “removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Federal Highway Administration is working with states and localities to invest in safer and cleaner modes of transportation including walking and biking, a representative News.
“We are dedicating billions of dollars to plan and build locally-driven innovations to redesign roads, addressing inequities to better serve all community members and building a more equitable transportation system,” the FHWA said.
The Journal of Transport Geography published a report last month that found transportation emits 23% of global carbon dioxide, 70% of which comes from road cars.Some Congressmen want to address highway pollution. In February, Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., filed a bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the national highway system by incentivizing car mile reduction.
He stated, “Just travel to Europe or other places that have done good planning and you can see just how terribly vehicle-oriented we have been for the past century, and so we’re playing catch-up.” Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, who reintroduced the GREEN Streets Act in January, said it clearly.
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