Read on Twitter
1/ My latest column on why simply electrifying cars is not enough for the U.S. to achieve its climate goals. We must work to reduce driving and greenfield land consumption. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/news/2021/02/11/495705/achieving-climate-targets-requires-looking-beyond-tailpipe/
2/ We tend to think about the destructive impacts of highway expansion as being limited to the past. Not so.
The I-45 North Houston expansion will require massive loss of affordable housing and two schools.
The I-45 North Houston expansion will require massive loss of affordable housing and two schools.
3/ Read TxDOT's words again: "Harris County has a significant shortage of affordable housing and many neighborhoods impacted by the NHHIP project are experiencing rising housing costs and increased displacement..."
4/ And what about local businesses: "Some businesses can relocate relatively easily, while others may have more trouble. Businesses dependent on local traffic and neighborhood recognition may not be able to find a suitable location nearby to maintain their client base."
5/ These are just the businesses displaced by one segment of the overall project.
6/ Beyond inequitable economic and neighborhood effects, highway construction facilitates huge amounts of greenfield loss. This map from Descartes Labs used satellite imagery to measure loss over just the past decade.
7/ We rightfully talk about highway construction/expansion as a *physical* barrier to opportunity. And it certainly is. But the often more profound barrier is auto-dependence it creates.
