Make I-45 Better Coalition
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Press

2021

Texas Architect: Rights of Way

January/February, 2021 - The Houston-Galveston Area Council maintains something called the Regional Travel Demand Model... The model asserts that it knows where people in that neighborhood will work, where they will eat, where they will shop, and where their friends will live in 2045.


Al Jazeera: Could Houston I-45 expansion be upended under a Biden presidency?

January 13, 2021 - A proposed highway expansion threatens to disproportionately displace communities of colour, but Biden’s infrastructure plans could change that.

2020

Streetsblog: Nominee Buttigieg Vows To Dismantle ‘Racist’ Freeways

December 22, 2020 - President-elect Biden’s pathbreaking pick for Transportation Secretary says he’ll reverse decades of discriminatory planning by expanding public transit and, most important, dismantling urban freeways that were built to destroy Black communities and led to decades of health and wealth inequity.
 

Houston Chronicle: At Jackson Lee’s request, TxDOT tacks on a few more days for comment on $7 billion I-45 project

December 11, 2020 - “TxDOT started with a highway mission and, unfortunately according to my constituents, you have not changed this focus and appear not to want to change,” Jackson Lee wrote.
 

KPRC Click2Houston: Leaders voice concerns over I-45 expansion project in letters to TxDOT [Video]

December 8, 2020 - The proposed expansion of Interstate 45 was met with a chorus of questions Tuesday, as a public comment period for suggestions to an environmental impact study comes to an end.
 

Houston Chronicle: Opponents readying for long fight, though key I-45 deadline to TxDOT days away

December 6, 2020 - “They want to continue to do the same old, same old, but that dog won’t hunt,” Commissioner Garcia said of TxDOT’s plan. “We need to make sure they understand it is about the future, not what used to be.”
 

Houston Chronicle: Local leaders must step up and stop TxDOT’s I-45 expansion

November 27, 2020 - Despite years of input from us already, the final impact assessment presents a very similar project to what they first proposed in 2017.
 

ABC 13: Is freeway expansion in Houston causing a greater culture divide? [Video]

October 30, 2020 - “We've all been together since we were kids, and with this expansion coming up, I don't know what's going to happen,” said resident Sean Jefferson Jr. “I don't know where we're going to go.”
 

Houston Chronicle: Comment deadline extended for $7B planned rebuild of I-45

October 28, 2020 - Feedback now is due Dec. 9, after which TxDOT can prepare the project for its final environmental clearance under federal guidelines.
 

Houston Chronicle: TxDOT trading tolls for managed lanes as it lays out long-term plans

October 22, 2020
 

Texas Observer: Achieving Vision Zero in Houston Isn’t Going To Happen One Intersection at a Time

October 19, 2020 - No one has explained how a project that TxDOT claims will lead to 100 percent more freeway vehicle miles traveled—more driving—and increased average speeds of up to 24 miles per hour—faster driving—is compatible with Vision Zero.
 

Houston Chronicle: Critics: 30-day window to comment on I-45 project far too short for generation-lasting rebuild

October 9, 2020
 

Houston Chronicle: TxDOT releases environmental analysis on I-45 rebuild, kicking off comment period

September 25, 2020
 

KHOU 11: 'We won't stop demonstrating' | Organization demands city put a stop on I-45 expansion project [Video]

September 3, 2020 - “We're here today to tell the Houston-Galveston Area Council, to tell the Houston City Council, to tell TxDOT we don't want this project,” said ‘Stop TxDOT I-45’ organizer Molly Cook.
 

Public Square: A federal Highways to Boulevards program is the infrastructure project a healthy and equitable America needs

August 17, 2020 - A federal highways to boulevards program will not be a silver bullet for community restoration, but it would begin to address many of the underlying inequalities in the built environment brought to public attention by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing and increasingly public police violence against Black Americans.
 

Houston Chronicle: Critics complain those most impacted by I-45 rebuild left out of group to improve $7B project

July 26, 2020 - “This proposal is inequitable and unacceptable,” said Jonathan Brooks, director of policy and planning for LINK Houston.
 

Houston Chronicle: Bolstered by racial justice debate, critics of I-45 project call for protection of vulnerable communities

June 19, 2020 - “I find this project disgusting and I cannot in good conscience support a vote … until all parties involved reckon with the damage they are going to inflict,” said Oni Blair, a member of the Transportation Advisory Committee and executive director of LINK Houston.
 

Streetsblog: Houston’s I-45 Project is More ‘Urban Renewal’ Racism

June 8, 2020 - The construction of America’s downtown highways destroyed thousands of black neighborhoods during the height of the urban renewal era in the 1940s and ’50s — and a new impact study of a controversial highway project in Houston serves as a reminder that the racist policy never ended.
 

Houston Chronicle: TxDOT's $7 billion plan to shorten your I-45 commute may displace hundreds of families

June 4, 2020
 

CityLab: The Racial Injustice of American Highways

June 3, 2020 - Demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in the Twin Cities occupied a major artery that tore apart a thriving African-American neighborhood.
 

Houston Chronicle: TxDOT should not rebuild I-45 without major changes to improve transit, flooding and connections

May 10, 2020 - The Chronicle's editorial board calls for dedicated bus lanes, reduced displacement, and a project that will help, not harm, the environment.
 

Texas Tribune: You didn’t think a pandemic could stop highway planning in Texas, did you? [Audio]

May 1, 2020 - All eyes in Texas are on the coronavirus and the state government's response to it. But some of the biggest state agencies are still doing what they always do, like building highways and debating oil and gas regulations.
 

Houston Chronicle: Houston seeks more transit, fewer cars as centerpiece of TxDOT’s $7B I-45 rebuild

April 24, 2020 - The city of Houston is prepared to ask for major changes in state plans to rebuild Interstate 45 that potentially could scale back the planned widening of the freeway and put a greater focus on transit lanes than making room for more cars.
 

CityLab: The New Age of Freeway Revolts

March 11, 2020 - Adding lanes for “traffic relief” remains politically popular. But in Houston and Portland, highway expansions are facing an energized — and effective — local resistance.
 

Kinder Institute: What if we spent billions to improve access instead of gridlock?

March 5, 2020 - "Those who live, work and drive in the Houston area are painfully familiar with the futility of the highway-widening solution."
 

Houston Chronicle: Mayor Sylvester Turner taps Bay Area planner to become Houston's first chief transportation planner

February 24, 2020 - Monday marks the first time traffic-clogged Houston has a transportation planner, a position officials said will coordinate mobility issues around the city.
 

KHOU 11: Protesters raise concerns over I-45 expansion project [Video]

January 28, 2020 - On Tuesday, dozens of protesters addressed city council to increase political pressure against the expansion.
 

Fast Company: U.S. mayors like the idea of being less car-focused but hate the policies that could make it happen

January 21, 2020 - A new survey of mayors finds a big disconnect between what mayors want in terms of street design and what they’re actually willing to support to make it happen.
 

Fast Company: Which U.S. cities’ transportation networks are doing the best for the climate?

January 17, 2020 - Bike lanes and transit are important, yes. But keeping car trips short is also a major factor in Streetlight Data’s U.S. Transportation Climate Impact Index.
 

Axios: Texas commuters have the highest climate impact

January 17, 2020 - Transportation is a top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but the worst offenders aren't congested cities like New York and San Francisco. Instead, it's sprawling, car-dependent metros like Dallas and Houston, a new analysis finds.
 

Rivard Report: Gov. Greg Abbott: Emphasis on Building Out Texas Roads 'Is Going to Change'

January 8, 2020 - Shifting transportation priorities in Texas will phase out expansive road development in the near future, Gov. Greg Abbott predicted Wednesday in a speech to the Rotary Club of San Antonio. 

2019

KPRC Click2Houston: Texas’ $7 billion plan to remake Houston highways once again targets homes, businesses in communities of color

December 25, 2019


Houston Chronicle: All my exes are leaving Texas for cities with vibrant streets and more innovative work

December 17, 2019


D Magazine: The Public Is Hungry For Research and Data Around I-345

December 17, 2019 - Where will the traffic go? Who owns the land? All this and more was discussed at a happy hour panel at the D Magazine offices.


D Magazine: A Look at I-30's Hopes in the Canyon: Deck Parks, Complete Streets, and More

October 31, 2019 - After months of not speaking, TxDOT and the city unveil their plans for a critical stretch of Interstate 30. This is what can happen when a city stands up for itself!


Washington Post: In Syracuse, a road and reparations

October 20, 2019 - This city’s south side was devastated when a highway section went up. Now that there’s talk of taking it down, residents think they should be protected — and compensated.


Texas Tribune: Texas' $7 billion plan to remake Houston highways once again targets homes, businesses in communities of color

October 11, 2019 - Historic black neighborhoods like Independence Heights and the Fifth Ward are in the crosshairs of Houston highway plans, decades after expressways separated communities from the rest of the city.


Houston Chronicle: TxDOT pumps up freeway drainage efforts, but cannot curtail every flash flood

September 26, 2019 - “We’d rather see the freeway flood than the homes.” - Rebecca Reyna, executive director of the Greater Northside Management District


Smart Growth America: Houston: A tale of two transportation systems

September 25, 2019 - Taking a cursory look at two radically different transportation plans for Houston, TX shows how the default position of federal transportation policy is to increase driving.


D Magazine: This Is How Engineers Ruin Cities

September 16, 2019 - Strong Towns offers a look into the playbook civil engineers use to thwart public will and ruin public places.


Houston Chronicle: Widening I-45 will be a disaster for Houston

September 6, 2019 - "Here’s how to make I-45 better: first, fix the parts that need repair, without making them any wider. At the same time, introduce congestion-based pricing on the entire roadway to maximize its capacity around the clock. Invest the proceeds in transit, biking, walking, and in those poor people who truly have no choice but to keep driving."


CityLab: What Urban Sprawl Is Really Doing to Your Commute

September 3, 2019 - Urban traffic congestion is growing dramatically, according to a new report. So why aren’t drivers taking longer to get to work?


D Magazine: As Dallas Preps Mobility Plan, the Texas Observer Chronicles the Detriments of Expanding Highways

August 21, 2019 - There are ways to solve congestion that don't involve adding onto freeways.


Kinder Institute: With an unprecedented amount of public input on the I-45 project, now what?

July 30, 2019 - A new working paper on the 'freeway revolts' of yesteryear sheds light on what's at stake locally in the latest highway project.


KHOU 11: H-GAC approves funding for I-45 expansion project despite protest [Video]

July 26, 2019 - "Mattress Mack, Judge Lina Hidalgo join dozens in protest of I-45 expansion funding"


Houston Chronicle: Houston-area officials commit $100 million to I-45 widening project

July 26, 2019 - "...the go-ahead from the H-GAC Transportation Policy Council fell well short of full-throated support."


Fox 26: Protesters say I-45 expansion will affect minority Houstonians [Video]

July 23, 2019 - "After the approval of $100 million towards the project, community activists say the current I-45 plan generates too much pain for mostly poor, mostly minority Houstonians."


ABC 13: I-45 freeway expansion will force people out of homes, group says [Video]

July 23, 2019 - Community leaders gathered in front of Bruce Elementary School to request regional leaders to delay vote on $100 million down payment for I-45 expansion.


Houston Chronicle: A new vision for I-45. And for Houston.

July 13, 2019 - Recommendations include: build a fast regional transit system, optimize lanes and price congestion, expand greenways to everyone, protected bikeways to every neighborhood, and build sidewalks.


C-SPAN: U.S. House Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [Video]

June 24, 2019 - Sheila Jackson-Lee and David Price speak on NHHIP's impact to historic Independence Heights and on funding for bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Houston. (Video starts at Rep. Jackson-Lee's comments.)


Houston Chronicle: Report lists I-45 rebuild project among nation’s biggest highway boondoggles

June 18, 2019 - The dubious distinction on the list comes days before two city-sponsored public meetings to gauge ongoing fears about the project.


Houston Chronicle: Massive I-45 project will remake Houston freeway spine, but at what cost?

June 14, 2019 - How many negative effects are acceptable in one neighborhood for other people’s faster commutes?


BikeHouston: Update on I-45: Where does BikeHouston Stand?

June 13, 2019 - Advocacy Director Jessica Wiggins warns, "More people will die on bikes, in cars, walking, and otherwise if the design standards stay as they are. Specifically frontage roads need to be abandoned."


Dallas City Hall beats back TxDOT's early plans for I-30's $1.3 billion makeover

January 28, 2019 - City leaders have called the $1.3-billion redo one of the city's biggest transportation priorities and a key battleground in a fight between regional mobility and neighborhood-centric ideals.

2017

Houston Chronicle: Adding lanes doesn't reduce congestion. So what is TxDOT doing?

October 18, 2017 - In 2014, just before a project was undertaken to widen two interstates in the northeast, Tom Maziarz, then the chief of planning at the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said, "You can't build your way out of congestion." Well, this is Texas. And TxDOT appears to believe that you can.

2014

CityLab: Why Commute Times Don't Change Much Even as a City Grows

June 20, 2014 - "For as much as U.S. metros have grown over the past few decades, commute times have remained oddly stable."
 

Wired: What's Up With That: Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse

June 17, 2014 - New roads will create new drivers, resulting in the intensity of traffic staying the same. 

2013

Governing: Houston: The Surprising Contender in America’s Urban Revival

October 2013 - Even the country’s most sprawling, least dense, most automobile-dependent city in America is trying to adapt to people’s preference for urban living.

Long Videos and Reports

NOBCO NABCO Fireside Chat with Mayor Pete [Video]

December 17, 2020 - Pete Buttigieg was just announced as the Biden Administration's nominee for Secretary of Transportation. He talks transportation with Black county officials from across the nation, including Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis.


Houston's Transportation Vision [Video]

September 15, 2020 - The City of Houston's first-ever Chief Transportation Planner, David Fields, presents Houston's Transportation Vision.


Health & Highways: Impacts of Transportation [Video]

August 19, 2020 - Local and national experts discuss how transportation infrastructure projects, like the proposed I-45 expansion, impact community health.


Transportation for America: THE CONGESTION CON [Report]

March 2020 - How more lanes and more money equals more congestion. Read the 37-page report.
 

Strong Towns: Lying About Safety to Sell Freeway Widening [Video]

February 12, 2020 - In a 1-hour video, traffic engineer Don Kostelec explores the reasons for road widening and the consequences of having wide roads.
 

Strong Towns: Want to Understand How Freeways Destroyed U.S. Cities? [Video]

September 11, 2019 - Watch podcaster donoteat play Cities:Skylines, discussing community impacts as he builds a new urban freeway.


Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia: Freeway Revolts! [Report]

July, 2019 - See link to full report at end of press release.


Air Alliance Houston: New Report around TxDOT’s Proposed I-45 Expansion Calls for Implementation of Mitigation Strategies to Protect Community Health [Report]

June 13, 2019 - See link to full report at end of press release.


Sprawl Repair Manual by Galina Tachieva [Book]

September 24, 2010 - The Sprawl Repair Manual demonstrates a step-by-step design process for the re-balancing and re-urbanization of suburbia into more sustainable, economical, energy- and resource-efficient patterns, from the region and the community to the block and the individual building.


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