Maumee, Ohio, winner of the 2024 Strongest Town Contest, is facing a big sewer infrastructure challenge — and it’s not alone. In this episode, Chuck explains the history of sewer infrastructure, how the Clean Water Act affects cities across North America and the very limited options cities have to handle this kind of challenge.
Read MoreRethinking car culture is easier once we more broadly measure what we’re giving up.
Read MoreWe have to end highway expansion and focus on projects that actually build wealth in our cities. If you’re not convinced, then read on.
Read MoreWhen Mike McGinn didn’t see any other mayoral candidates challenging a proposed highway expansion project in Seattle, he stepped up to the plate and won the election. This is the story of his ensuing fight to stop his city from making a costly mistake.
Read MoreAnd whatever you do, don’t repeat Canada’s mistake.
Read MoreYour city just announced a big infrastructure project, one with significant state and federal funding. You and your neighbors are likely wondering: why this project?
Read MoreThe federal government’s refusal to hold TxDOT accountable for the harm it’s doing in Houston is allowing history to repeat itself—something the current administration pledged it wouldn’t do.
Read MoreWhat kind of financial challenges can our cities and towns expect to face in the new year?
Read MorePart of having transparent local accounting is ensuring that the people living in a community know and understand the public costs associated with their homes and businesses. Right now, that isn’t the case in most places.
Read MoreMaine residents want road maintenance. MaineDOT is giving them more roads.
Read MoreFrontier Group’s Tony Dutzik comes onto the podcast today to talk about their annual “Highway Boondoggles” report. In light of last year’s infrastructure bill, just how much funding is being wasted on highway expansion?
Read MoreEngineers who work on municipal infrastructure need to stop ubiquitously describing their projects as “improvements”—especially when the project is actually harmful, not helpful.
Read MoreThe Suburban Experiment is a bad business model, and nothing demonstrates that more clearly than Jackson, Mississippi’s, ongoing water crisis.
Read MorePortland and Oregon leaders shouldn’t commit to a $5-billion project without an investment grade analysis (IGA) of toll revenues.
Read MoreThe Oregon DOT has experienced massive cost overruns on all of its largest construction projects…and has systematically concealed and understated the frequency and scale of those cost overruns.
Read MoreWhen it comes to our places’ roads, we need to start asking: “How much is this gonna cost us?”
Read MoreThis case shows why local governments need to do a better job accounting for maintenance costs.
Read MoreBecause we depend so heavily on cars, what happens when roads become too icy to drive on? The answer: road salt. But there are serious consequences to relying on salt for road-clearing.
Read MoreAs of November 15, Alaska is flush with federal infrastructure money. How should it be spent?
Read MoreIn this follow-up to last week’s piece about Galesburg, IL, we’ll look at what the town needs in order to recover and thrive.
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