Smart Urban Development
Friday, November 13th, 2009
Does the Omaha metro area need a beltway? What affect will a new beltway system have on quality of life in Omaha? Is there public support for the construction of a beltway similar to those found in St. Louis or Phoenix? The Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) has conducted and is now evaluating a beltway study produced earlier this year. The study suggests the need for a beltway based on current growth trends and existing growth policies. It is of the utmost importance that the general public and institutions located in all areas of the city (both suburban and historic neighborhoods) take time to evaluate the study, its suggested proposals, and the ultimate ramifications to Omaha. To read more about the recommendations and feasibility of a metro area beltway, review the full report or executive summary.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Haven’t we learned from the past four decades that high speed corridors only fragment a community and deter livability?
November 18th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Personally, I like the idea of a greenbelt myself. I think that would also be of help for sustainability.
January 9th, 2010 at 7:21 am
Lets try something new and look to the future instead of repeating the past:
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/01/06/4000000-fewer-vehicles-on-us-roads-in-2009/#comment-123067
“Americans bought 10 million vehicles and sent 14 million to the scrapyard in 2009. This is unheard of for a country known for its “love affair with the car” and its many car-oriented cities.”
January 25th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I completely agree with Dave. How can a large interstate improve a community when it separates it? Better connectivity between already dispersed communities? Perhaps. Fragmenting community life? Certainly.
January 29th, 2010 at 10:42 am
http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/roadbuilding-futility.html
More Lanes = More Traffic
There is no shortage of hard data. A recent University of California at Berkeley study covering thirty California counties between 1973 and 1990 found that, for every 10 percent increase in roadway capacity, traffic increased 9 percent within four years’ time.3 For anecdotal evidence, one need only look at commuting patterns in those cities with expensive new highway systems. USA Today published the following report on Atlanta: “For years, Atlanta tried to ward off traffic problems by building more miles of highways per capita than any other urban area except Kansas City…As a result of the area’s sprawl, Atlantans now drive an average of 35 miles a day, more than residents of any other city.”· This phenomenon, which is now well known to those members of the transportation industry who wish to acknowledge it, has come to be called induced traffic.