Articles on Highways

Displaying 1 - 20 of 34 articles

A stretch of Route 66 in Albuquerque, N.M., pictured on June 7, 2026. Towns and cities located along the highway are gearing up to celebrate the iconic road’s centennial. Heather Diehl/Getty Images

As Route 66 turns 100, what is it that we’re actually celebrating?

The ‘Mother Road’ has long symbolized freedom and reinvention. But its history reveals a more complicated story shaped by migration, segregation and the highways that eventually circumvented it.
Double stacked cargo freight trains like this were planned for the Inland Rail – until its northern half from central NSW to near Brisbane was scrapped. Australian Rail Track Corporation

After dumping Inland Rail, Australia has no plan to stop relying on diesel trucks for freight

Inland Rail was meant to take 200,000 trucks a year off our roads – but it’s now been cut in half. Why is rail freight shortchanged compared to roads and city rail?
A stretch of Highway 16 near Prince George, B.C., known as the Highway of Tears, where several Indigenous women and girls have gone missing. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Transportation paved the way for colonization — it can also support reconciliation

Transport development paved the way for colonization and is directly linked to the chronic and extreme social inequities Indigenous communities continue to face to this day.
The intersection along the Trans-Canada highway near Carberry, Man. where a bus collided with a semi-truck killing 16 people and injuring nine others. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

After the Manitoba crash, Canada needs to rethink bus safety

Safety investigations into serious road collisions need to be conducted at a national level and by an independent body in the same manner air and rail occurrences are investigated.
Planting native plant seeds on sand dunes at Westward Beach in Malibu, Calif., to stabilize the dunes. Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A shortage of native seeds is slowing land restoration across the US, which is crucial for tackling climate change and extinctions

Native plants help damaged landscapes by stabilizing soil, fighting invasive species and sheltering pollinators. Two horticulture experts explain what they’re doing to help develop new seed sources.
Indianapolis debuted a bus rapid transit system with 60-foot articulated electric buses in 2019. Momoneymoproblemz/Wikipedia

Why the humble city bus is the key to improving US public transit

High-quality bus service is the fastest route to rapid, comprehensive public transit in the United States. This country was once a leader in bus transit, and with adequate funding, it could be again.
A trooper checks the tire of a truck carrying flammable contents during a random hazmat checkpoint in Colorado. Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Train derailments get more headlines, but truck crashes involving hazardous chemicals are more frequent and deadly in US

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is looking into new rules for trains. Trucks, however, are involved in thousands more hazmat incidents every year in the US.
Gas station in Seattle on March 11, 2022. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Would gas tax breaks make a big difference when prices are skyrocketing? We asked 4 experts

Consumers are feeling pain at the pump and demanding solutions. Some politicians are pushing gasoline tax waivers – but that means less money to fix roads, and often not much economic relief.
The $1 trillion bill was a heavy lift for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (center). Next up: the budget reconciliation bill known as Build Back Better. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Congress passes $1T infrastructure bill – but how does the government go about spending that much money?

The government uses a process called public procurement. A professor of public policy explains how the process works and how it is increasingly used to achieve social goals.

Top contributors

More