How a Bridge Closure Can Spark Better Financial Decisions by Local Officials

Having to shut down major pieces of infrastructure because it can’t afford to repair or replace them is a bad position for a city to be in. But in some cases, it’s just the wake-up call officials need to start making better decisions.

Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodDecember 11, 2024transparent local accounting, canada, infrastructure maintenance, debt, growth ponzi scheme

Has the Highway Trust Fund Outlived Its Usefulness? A Conversation With Beth Osborne.

On this week’s episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck is joined by Beth Osborne, the director of Transportation for America, to discuss the Highway Trust Fund and how it affects federal and state transportation policies.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 30, 2024end highway expansion, Highway Trust Fund, transportation spending, podcast, infrastructure maintenance

Are Officials Hiding the True Price of This Bridge Project?

The Interstate Bridge Replacement project, which is tasked with replacing a bridge that connects Washington and Oregon, is facing alarming delays, cost escalations and seemingly deceptive behavior from officials. These problems are symptoms of broader issues in North American transportation spending.

News, Top StoryJoe CortrightAugust 14, 2024end highway expansion, transparent local accounting, infrastructure maintenance, oregon, washington

American Bridges Are Falling Apart and There’s No Plan To Fix Them

Washington's Department of Transportation recently reported that they’re weight restricting another bridge because it’s becoming dangerously old. This is a symptom of a problem that stretches across North America: grossly misplaced priorities. It's time for a serious reevaluation of transportation spending priorities.

News, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoAugust 13, 2024end highway expansion, infrastructure maintenance, washington, highway spending, financial solvency

The Multitasking Marvel: How Street Trees Can Solve Many Municipal Problems

Street trees are more than just beautiful additions to cities and towns — they also provide many economic and practical benefits, from prolonging the life of road surfaces to lowering energy bills. Here’s why you should invest in some trees.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodAugust 8, 2024safe and productive streets, street trees, infrastructure maintenance, public investment, green infrastructure

Special Assessments Turn a City Into a Vicious Predator

Special assessments are a way local governments can fund projects that will add value to homeowners’ property. When used to fund regular maintenance, though, they’re self-serving, irresponsible and unfairly target the poorest members of the community. It’s time to demand better.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 6, 2024transparent local accounting, Assessments, local government, infrastructure maintenance, public finance

Aspiration Projects Are Great...Until the Shine Wears Off

New facilities aren’t bad, but they do present a problem when we can’t afford to maintain them after they’re built.

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward Erfurt and Lindsey BeckworthMarch 22, 2024maintenance, infrastructure maintenance, Parks and Recreation, budget, community action lab, Community Action Lab

5 Reasons Why We Should End Highway Expansion

We have to end highway expansion and focus on projects that actually build wealth in our cities. If you’re not convinced, then read on.

Top StorySeairra JonesMarch 15, 2024end highway expansion, highways, highway spending, infrastructure cost, infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance

America *Must* End Highway Expansions

Until we have a credible plan for maintaining our existing transportation infrastructure, we must stop building more roads and bridges. Period.

Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 15, 2024highways, highway spending, transportation, transportation spending, infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, maintenance, freeways, freeway widening

Sweat the Small Stuff

Your city’s long-term resilience requires paying attention to the little things.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedMarch 7, 2023maintenance, infrastructure maintenance, public investment, little bets, infrastructure, public space, small bets

A New Tool to Calculate the Lifecycle of Infrastructure

Calculating the 100-year lifecycle costs of new development shouldn’t be an obscure process, and the province of British Columbia, Canada, has created a tool to help its communities do exactly that.

Top StorySeairra JonesFebruary 23, 2023infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, maintenance, Incremental Housing, canada, development pattern, development

The Largest Mistake of Our Generation

The proposed annual budget for Winnipeg, MB, reveals the true cost of the Suburban Experiment, and the vibrancy that the city (and so many others like it) has sacrificed in many of its neighborhoods.

Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodFebruary 22, 2023suburban experiment, canada, suburban development pattern, infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, budget, finance, public finance, transportation, transportation spending, transparent local accounting, growth ponzi scheme

What’s Behind PBOT’s $4.4 Billion Street Maintenance Backlog Excuse?

The maintenance backlog excuse should not be the end of the conversation—it should be the start of a new one.

Top StoryJonathan MausFebruary 2, 2023maintenance, infrastructure maintenance, street repair, transparent local accounting, safe and productive streets, oregon

Your City May Be Illegally Assessing You for Routine Infrastructure Maintenance

Part 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.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnNovember 28, 2022public finance, maintenance, infrastructure, infrastructure cost, infrastructure maintenance, financial solvency, transparent local accounting, local economy

The Impact of Systemic Racism on Jackson's Water Crisis

Strong Towns member and former Jackson, MS, resident Amanda Lanata comes to the Strong Towns Podcast to discuss the role that racism played in the city’s recent water crisis.

Podcast, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsNovember 21, 2022podcast, water, infrastructure maintenance, race, mississippi, infrastructure

What Does $106 Million Get You in Maine? A Redundant Highway Expansion That Nobody Wants.

Maine residents want road maintenance. MaineDOT is giving them more roads.

NewsSeairra JonesNovember 8, 2022Nero Project, infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, infrastructure cost, highways, highway spending, transportation, transportation spending, Maine, maintenance, end highway expansion

Water System Crises and Solutions

What are the origins of our current water systems, and how should we think about them, going forward?

Podcast, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsNovember 7, 2022podcast, water, infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, history

That's Not an Improvement

Engineers who work on municipal infrastructure need to stop ubiquitously describing their projects as “improvements”—especially when the project is actually harmful, not helpful.