LAND VALUE AND LAND USE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED, DEPRESSED, AND AT-GRADE LEVEL FREEWAYS IN TEXAS

To answer questions being raised by abutting residents and businesses about proposed elevated and/or depressed freeway improvements in the urban and suburban areas of Texas, a four-year study has been conducted to estimate the social, economic, and environmental effects of such freeway designs. Eight existing, two under-construction, and one approved-for-construction freeway sections have been studied on a before-, during-, and after-construction basis. The sections selected for study range from being predominantly residential suburban areas to predominantly commercial-industrial downtown areas. The specific effects of the study estimated for each study section include: (1) social impacts: population changes, neighborhood, accessibility, and neighborhood cohesion; (2) economic impacts: relocation and mitigation costs, business sales, property uses and values, tax revenues, employment and income, and user costs; and (3) environmental impacts: aesthetics, drainage and erosion, noise and air pollution, vibration, and hazardous spills. The literature review and a survey of highway agencies in other states were used to determine the appropriate procedures or models and mitigation measures to implement in estimating the social, economic, and environmental impacts of elevated and depressed freeways. The results of the study, presented in six separate reports according to types of effect, can be used by highway planning and designing engineers to prepare environmental statements and documents of the expected social, economic, and environmental impacts of proposed elevated and depressed freeway projects. Also, the results can be disseminated at the public hearings for a proposed project. This report presents the findings of the land value and use effects of elevated, depressed, and at-grade level freeways. The findings from prior studies indicate that freeway grade level differences in abutting land values are significant for certain land uses. However, these differences are negative or positive, depending upon the type of abutting land use. The results of this study confirm those findings.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Research study title: Social, Economic, and Environmental Effects of Elevated and Depressed Freeways.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Transfer Office, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5051

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lewis, C A
  • Buffington, J L
  • Vadali, S R
  • Goodwin, R E
• Publication Date: 1997-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 150 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Business districts; Central business districts; Depressed highways; Economic impacts; Environmental impacts; Freeways; Highway bridges; Highway design; Industrial areas; Industrial buildings; Land use; Land values; Residential areas; Social impacts; Suburbs
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Old TRIS Terms: Commercial districts; Freeway design; Land use effects
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; Terminals and Facilities; I10: Economics and Administration; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00745805
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-98/1327-2, Res Rept 1327-2, TTI: 0-1327 Interim Rept
• Contract Numbers: Study 0-1327
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 25 1998 12:00AM