Shifting Urban Priorities? Removal of Inner City Freeways in the United States
Much of the original Interstate infrastructure built in the 1950s and 1960s in the United States is approaching or has already reached the end of its useful life, and now requires large investments for rehabilitation. At the same time the freeway revolt has evolved into a more widespread movement, underlined by values such as sustainability. The vigorous debate about the future of urban highways and mobility continues with the development of a fairly recent phenomenon: urban freeway removal. This paper works toward a theory of highway removal by examining three different cases in which urban freeway removal was a seriously considered option—two in which the freeway was removed and replaced with a lower-capacity at-grade boulevard and one in which the freeway ultimately was not removed. The analysis suggests that freeway removal will take place only when (a) the freeway’s condition raises concerns about its integrity and safety; (b) a window of opportunity exists, some event that enables a freeway removal alternative to gain serious consideration; (c) the value of mobility is lower than other objectives such as economic development; and (d) those in power value other benefits more than they value the benefits associated with freeway infrastructure.
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- Summary URL:
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Public/Blurbs/160229.aspx
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Authors:
- Napolitan, Francesca
- Zegras, P Christopher
- Publication Date: 2008
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 68-75
- Monograph Title: Performance Measurement, Demand Management, and Issues of Major U.S. Cities
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
- Issue Number: 2046
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0361-1981
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Central business districts; Economic development; Freeways; Highway maintenance; Highway planning; Highways; Infrastructure; Interstate highways; Mobility; Quality of life; Rehabilitation; Road construction; Sustainable development; Urban highways
- Uncontrolled Terms: Road removal
- Geographic Terms: United States
- Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I10: Economics and Administration; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01089209
- Record Type: Publication
- ISBN: 9780309113199
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Feb 27 2008 8:58AM