A booth in an Amtrak train car

By popular demand, Ray Delahanty of CityNerd released a top 12 urban highways that should be slated for removal to improve the cities that surround them. Seattle made the list.

Washington and Oregon will focus on replacing I-5's twin Columbia River bridges with a new freeway bridge ready to carry light rail to Downtown Vancouver, Governor Bob Ferguson announced Wednesday. The project is still facing a budget gap that could stretch into the billions.

The pressure to invest in degrading state highways pushed legislators to turn to $1.3 billion in bonding, a move necessary due to so many dollars being tied up in highway expansion projects like the North Spokane Corridor and the Puget Sound Gateway.

WSDOT’s concept would remove the northbound ramp from I-90 onto Rainier Avenue and improve safety at the other freeway ramps. A clear step in the right direction, the unfunded plan is not as bold as some transportation advocates would like to see near such an important light rail station.

WSDOT's concept would remove the northbound ramp from I-90 onto Rainier Avenue and improve safety at the other freeway ramps. A clear step in the right direction, the unfunded plan is not as bold as some transportation advocates would like to see near such an important light rail station.

The post WSDOT Advances Plan to Tame I-90 Ramps at Judkins Park Station first appeared on The Urbanist.

Cities must commit to downsizing their highway networks if they intend to meet climate and livability goals and expand housing in a healthy and equitable manner. Seattle must lead the way.

The post Op-Ed: Nobody Wants to Live Next to a Highway first appeared on The Urbanist.

The $2 billion in new bonding in the Senate's transportation budget would help bolster the state's highway and bridge maintenance spending, which has lagged due to longstanding prioritization of new highway projects. But the debt load could create problems for future budget writers.

The post State Senate Signs Onto Billions of New Debt for Highway Upkeep first appeared on The Urbanist.