It Might Hurt, but It’s Never Too Late for Your City To Say “No” on a Bad Project

Most city officials are operating in good faith, trying their best to make decisions that will help their community. Even when they've made bad decisions in the past, it's never too late to start making good ones.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnSeptember 3, 2024transparent local accounting, minnesota, infrastructure spending, local government, financial solvency

The Truth About the Suburban Experiment: A Response to “Contra Strong Towns”

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck responds to a recent Substack column that criticized the Strong Towns stance on the Suburban Experiment and infrastructure spending.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 22, 2024podcast, suburban experiment, infrastructure spending, financial solvency, infrastructure

What Strong Towns Really Says About Infrastructure Spending

Are urban areas really more financially sustainable than suburbs? Do urban areas inherently have higher infrastructure costs? Here's what Strong Towns actually says about the Suburban Experiment and infrastructure spending.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJuly 22, 2024growth ponzi scheme, infrastructure spending, infrastructure, city government, financial solvency

Is Wayfinding Worth the Extra Cost of Static Signage?

Many bus routes have moved away from traditional static signage to digital maps and schedules that can be updated in real time. But is this really the right move, or are there enough benefits to static signage to justify it sticking around?

Top StoryAsia MieleszkoJune 18, 2024buses, transit, infrastructure spending, finance, orderly but dumb

The Highway Expansion Project Is Dead, Long Live the Highway Expansion Project!

Highway expansion projects have a devastating impact of city finances while only providing minor benefits. This case study explores the financial details of a highway expansion project in Winnipeg, Canada, and discusses how people can take action to stop this kind of project.

Top Story, NewsMichel Durand-WoodJune 17, 2024canada, finance, infrastructure spending, transparent local accounting, end highway expansion

Member Drive Week Special: The Cost of an Extra Foot

It’s Member Drive Week here at Strong Towns. To celebrate, Chuck’s reading some of his best articles that you might’ve missed. Today, he’s reading “The Cost of an Extra Foot,” which explains why engineers love overdesign and what that means for cities’ finances.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJune 10, 2024podcast, member week, finance, infrastructure spending, engineers

City Finance That Depends on Magic Is a Recipe for Disaster

Once a city acknowledges that it can’t afford maintain its infrastructure, it’ll change its investment pattern to be more resilient….right? Actually, many cities try to make more money magically appear so they can continue that pattern. Here’s why “How do we get more money?” is the wrong question and what cities should be asking, instead.

Top Story, TrendingMichel Durand-WoodJune 7, 2024canada, finance, infrastructure spending, transparent local accounting, property tax

Neither a Canal nor a Natural Stream: It’s Time We Returned Our “Stranals” to Proper Rivers

Waterways today are engineered systems that are more orderly than natural rivers, but they are increasingly dumb.

Top StoryDean KlinkenbergSeptember 19, 2023water, infrastructure, fragility, transportation, infrastructure spending

Waterways: Overbuilt, Fragile, and Misunderstood in the Infrastructure Landscape

Waterways are misunderstood, but probably not for the reason you’re thinking.

Top StoryDean KlinkenbergSeptember 12, 2023water, infrastructure, fragility, transportation, infrastructure spending

The Governor of Missouri Wants to Spend $859 Million on Highway Expansion

A proposed highway expansion in Missouri will not only bulldoze through key areas in and around downtown St. Louis, but it’s also going to cost $859 million. Let’s go over some better ways that money could be spent.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 25, 2023podcast, infrastructure, infrastructure spending, highways, highway spending, missouri, upzoned, end highway expansion

$4.7 Billion New Jersey Turnpike Expansion Ignores Local Leaders and Invites More Gridlock

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority plans to spend $4.7 billion updating and widening an eight-mile section of the turnpike, in the hopes of relieving congestion. Here’s why it’s not going to help.

Top StoryKelcie Ralph and Nicholas KleinSeptember 15, 2022highways, highway spending, freeways, freeway widening, congestion, traffic congestion, congestion pricing, local government, transportation spending, infrastructure spending, transportation, end highway expansion, new jersey

Flying Blind: Why Public Leaders Need an Investment Grade Analysis

Portland and Oregon leaders shouldn’t commit to a $5-billion project without an investment grade analysis (IGA) of toll revenues.

Top StoryJoe CortrightJune 17, 2022infrastructure, infrastructure cost, infrastructure spending, DOT, washington, transparent local accounting, oregon

Yet Another Exploding Whale: ODOT’s Freeway-Widening Cost Doubles

The 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.

Top StoryJoe CortrightJune 3, 2022infrastructure, infrastructure cult, infrastructure cost, infrastructure spending, DOT, transportation, oregon

Fixing the Potholes Requires Digging Deeper

When it comes to our places’ roads, we need to start asking: “How much is this gonna cost us?”

Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodJune 2, 2022infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, infrastructure cost, infrastructure spending, canada, member story, transparent local accounting

The Brent Spence Boondoggle

Local leaders in Ohio and Kentucky are gearing up to make a multi-billion dollar mistake on this bridge equivalent of a highway-widening project.

Top StoryRyan CraneApril 18, 2022freeway widening, induced demand, highways, highway spending, transportation spending, kentucky, infrastructure, infrastructure cult, infrastructure spending, transparent local accounting, ohio

TxDOT Ignores El Paso’s Needs To Make a Grab at Infrastructure Dollars

TxDOT’s latest boondoggle: a highway expansion that threatens to cut right at the heart of downtown El Paso.

Top StoryRobert StorchMarch 31, 2022highways, freeway widening, freeways, urban freeways, transportation, infrastructure, infrastructure spending, texas

We Need to Embrace Traffic Congestion, Not Fight It

We’ve spent trillions fighting congestion so that it’s easy to drive everywhere. But we’re fighting a losing battle, and simultaneously losing our ability to walk anywhere.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnFebruary 21, 2022congestion, traffic congestion, traffic engineering, infrastructure spending, infrastructure, transportation, american jobs plan, end highway expansion, safe and productive streets

The Real Reason We Keep Getting Distracted by Transit Boondoggles

When it comes to transit mega project delays and overruns, there are typically two reactions: to trash the project mercilessly or unconditionally back it to the end. But there is a third option.