This thread has been an interesting read. Forumers from any other city would be ashamed for this type of freeway expansion, but the Houstonites are proud of it. Mind blown!
I found a few better article which highlights the amount of displacement and the impacts it will have on the predominantly minority communities.
Here is one of them: "The I-45 project is expected to displace more than 1,000 homes and apartments along with 344 businesses, two schools and five places of worship in mostly Black and Latino neighborhoods. The I-45 project is expected to displace more than 1,000 homes and apartments along with 344 businesses, two schools and five places of worship in mostly Black and Latino neighborhoods."
It's well documented that the United States has used highway construction as a form of urban renewal and to intentionally displace black households. In the recently passed infrastructure bill, there is an acknowledgment from Congress appropriating $20 billion for a program that would "reconnect neighborhoods cut off by historic investments."
This article provides a great overview of the practice and the tainted legacy that urban communities live with today.
"Planners of the interstate highway system, which began to take shape after the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, routed some highways directly, and sometimes purposefully, through Black and brown communities. In some instances, the government took homes by eminent domain."
Of course with Eminent Domain, homeowners (but not renters) receive just compensation, which is usually fair market value for their property, but that may not be enough to relocate to other nearby neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the appraisers that are hired to determine fair market value may also have their own biases. The DOJ for example i
s intervening in a civil suit brought on by Black homeowners against an appraisal company that appeared to show a racial bias when determining the value of the property.
While the existing highway can probably use some improvements. Spending $9 billion along with the new lanes is just going to make traffic worse in the long run due to induced demand. It will create bottlenecks and gridlocks on downtown streets which will have the same capacity but would be fed more cars from the expansion. I also don't buy the argument that this will facilitate development. Houston is rapidly growing and will continue to rapidly grow with or without this highway expansion. At some point Houston needs to shift the modal share towards transit. No amount of new freeways is going to solve the traffic problems for a city growing as fast as Houston.
I love Houston. It's an exciting and diverse city that gets a lot of hate from all sides. Yes, traffic is bad, but so is any vibrant city. However, I'm really puzzled how existing residents can view this proposal and be proud of it, especially knowing the damage that it will cause.
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The freeways mentioned have a lot of blight and derelict looking development built up along them. While some people will be displaced, this is a good opportunity for Houston to clean up these corridors.
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Way too diminish the neighborhood. I suppose TxDOT transportation planners see the same thing. This quote really gets me because that's the same argument during used during America's urban renewal phase which saw widespread displacement and destruction of urban areas. I thought we would know better by now.