Highway Removal

Highway Removal

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Overview

During the 1960's and 70's, federally-subsidized elevated highways were built through the middle of every major U.S. city. For better or worse, these roadways provided quick access to the surrounding countryside, facilitating suburban expansion. But, in the words of the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) these structures:

"cut huge swaths across our cities, decimating neighborhoods and reducing quality of life for city residents. This massive concrete infrastructure had devastating effects on urban economies. It blighted adjacent property and pushed access to basic amenities further out.
With the Federal and State Departments of Transportation confronting shrinking budgets and cities looking for ways to increase their revenues, it is an ideal time to offer less expensive, urban alternatives to the reconstruction of urban expressways."

Former Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist, who presided over the removal of a crosstown highway, said, "Highways don't belong in cities. Period. Europe didn't do it. America did. And our cities have paid the price." [1]

CNU has designated 10 "Freeways Without Futures":

Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle, WA
Sheridan Expressway , Bronx, NY
The Skyway and Route 5, Buffalo, NY
Route 34, New Haven, CT
Claiborne Expressway, New Orleans, LA
Interstate 81, Syracuse, NY
Interstate 64, Louisville, KY
Route 29, Trenton, NJ
Gardiner Expressway, Toronto, ON
11th Street Bridges and the Southeast Freeway, Washington, D.C.

Each of these structures is considered expendable, would be costly to repair or upgrade, the land thus freed has strong redevelopment potential, and the facility's removal is supported by locals.

In addition to these ten, at least one removal project is already approved -- the 4.5-mile Crosstown Expressway (Interstate 40) in Oklahoma City, the state's busiest highway segment. Demolition is scheduled for 2012.[1] The Tri-State Transportation Campaign of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey has identified six potential removal projects, five on CNU's list, and the Interstate 84 Viaduct through Hartfod, CT.

What Happens to the Traffic?

Opponents of highway removal proposals fear the tearing down of such high-capacity roadways will lead to increased traffic congestion, lack of emergency evacuation routes, and economic collapse of urban cores as suburban commuters or shoppers opt for more car-oriented areas. The data suggest otherwise. A study of highway removals in 11 different countries found that 14-25% of the traffic disappeared completely, and that few if any of the removals resulted in the “traffic chaos” warned of by opponents.[2] In fact, just as new highways always results in induced traffic that would not otherwise have occurred, removing highway lanes or entire structures reduces the level of traffic, and travelers opt for other times, other modes, or forgo trips altogether and meet their needs locally.

Highway removals in older urban areas with grid street patterns, have the effect of dispersing previously concentrated traffic, as explained in this citizen's blog focussing on the removal of Milwaukee's Park East Freeway:

"Did the Park East freeway removals cause traffic nightmares? No, the freeway had complicated the traffic patterns, concentrating all traffic on just three streets and causing congestion. Once the freeway came down and the streets were restored into a grid, traffic dispersed on two dozen streets and traffic flow improved."