The recent announcement that Memphis will participate in the Obama White House’s Strong Cities program to break down silos so federal agencies can do more to help us achieve our goals. Well, here’s our project for the federal folks: do something about I-269.
There’s no real justification for the interstate, but at this point, there’s little hope of halting it. That said, we’d settle for a toll road with the fees devoted to mitigating the damage of the highway to the city that makes the regional economy hum. We know we seem exorcised about I-269 – which feels to us like a solution looking for a problem – and other sprawl-inducing highway projects are because they deepen the economic segregation that holds back Memphis’ progress.
Memphis is #1 in economic segregation among the largest 50 MSAs in the U.S.
Here’s the kicker: sprawl is a major cause of economic isolation, and economic isolation in turn exacerbates poverty and creates obstacles for residents to connect with the social networks that are often essential to employment and improved lifestyles. So we hope all the cheerleaders for an unnecessary interstate looping around Shelby County will forgive us, but their justifications are strained and their promises for thoughtful planning along its route are vague and hyperbolic.
Well-connected cities have less division between economic groups, and based on the recent decibel level here, it shouldn’t be too surprising that we are at the top of the list of economically segregated cities. Nashville is #38.
Cross Purposes
Meanwhile, the economic segregation results in concentrated poverty that is the seedbed for our city’s most serious problems and derails our best efforts to address them. Projects like I-269 promise only to make them worse, because every problem becomes harder to deal with in cities that are economically segregated.
In other words, at the precise time when every city, county and state agency should be focused on encouraging infill redevelopment that revives and stabilizes Memphis neighborhoods, our transportation investments hollow them out, and leaders appear unable to turn the tide and abandon the idea that sprawl is “growth.”
At the same time, the cause and effect — connecting the dots — between sprawl, the climbing Memphis tax rate, and an economically polarized city are overwhelmed by the influence of those who drive these transportation projects.
The inattention to the urban center that fuels our regional economy is symbolized by I-269, but its impact will be real and immediate. It will further produce an economically polarized city where fewer and fewer Memphis workers are paying more and more in taxes — including those spent for services and amenities that are in truth regional.
Green-washing
Let us say this clearly and unequivocably: there is no economic or social benefit to City of Memphis as a result of I-269. Don’t believe the propaganda or the breathless media headlines.
Wrapping I-269 in a shroud of terms like smart growth, knowledge economy jobs, New Urbanism and open space protection, supporters of the interstate suggest with straight faces that Memphis will benefit from new economic growth and development that the interstate will provide. If our past teaches us anything, it is that the I-269 corridor will be characterized by unwalkable, car-centric sameness.
Someone from North Mississippi said in an article in The Commercial Appeal that the task now is to apply smart growth principles to I-269. We’re not sure when we’ve heard such a contradiction of terms. It reminds us of the story on NPR about the developer proudly boasting of his sustainable residential development – green energy, walking trails, etc. There was only one problem: it was an hour commute to New York and an hour and half commute to Philadelphia.
It’s the kind of green-washing that’s being done by developers and economic development types to try to put a pretty face on projects like I-269 that are clearly unsustainable.
Making It Worse
Here’s the thing: Memphis’ ability to compete in the new economy is undercut by the hollowing out of the middle class, by the worst economic segregation of the 50 largest metros, by the quickening loss of college-educated 25-34 year-olds, a 15% house vacancy rate that’s doubled since 2000 and 20% of Memphis families living on less than $8,700 a year.
These are the forces driving Memphis’ trajectory and defining our future. There is nothing in I-269 that does anything to improve these trends that are threatening the future of our city. More to the point and despite the denial by our suburban cities, the trends of Memphis will in fact determine the future of the entire region.
If Memphis must live with the problems that are exacerbated by I-269, we must do more than all pledge our commitment to regional planning. More to the point, we must change policies so that the interstate does in fact mitigate its negative impact.
For example, we’re said previously that I-269 and Tennessee 385 should be toll roads. They would produce more than $100 million a year that could be invested in strategies to strengthen our core city and to make Memphis a city of choice.
Nontraditional Thinking
There are other innovations like a higher sales tax along the route to establish a tax-sharing program that could direct money into the improvement of Memphis neighborhoods. Or perhaps there’s a way to pass impact fees and sustainability guidelines for development along the interstate route, to set up land trusts and to require the same level of public investments in public transit.
In a perfect world, our local and state officials would simply turn down the federal money for I-269, calling Mississippi’s bluff as it is faced with the interstate version of an oxbow lake. It’s too late to call on our leaders to say enough is enough – not to mention that the political will may not exist – and make the most important decision facing them – doing what’s right for Memphis.
But, I-269 exists because of politics. That’s why we think the answer needs to be found in the same place.
These are difficult times for the Memphis metro – let’s say it again, metro. Unlike most other metro areas, the cancerous problems that threaten our economic health are regional in nature and not just the problems of the city. Unless we start to figure out how to avoid self-indulgent projects like I-269 and make the investments that strengthen our entire region so that it is prepared for the fundamental restructuring of the economy that is well under way, we will prove that the road to hell is indeed paved with intentions that aren’t always good.
In the end, it’s not great roads that will draw jobs to Memphis. It’s great quality of life, a culture of creativity and a willingness to support dreamers and entrepreneurs that will attract the talented people that in turn attract jobs to our community. The blind pursuit of more lanes and more roads without the fuller context for community in time creates an inadequate plan for transportation and replicates the same mistaken policies of the past.
there is no economic or social benefit to I 269 to the CITY of Memphis ???
I would beg to differ. Eventually it may provide alternatives in “socialization” of people who don’t want to LIVE in the CITY of Memphis, but have access to the city. “Social beneifits” are hard to quantify sometimes, but to categorically state there are “none to the City” itself ignores the fact that many residents of the region already do not live in the City of Memphis.
Of course the “city” proper does not “benefit” in competing with tax revenues of say, The City of Germantown, or The City of Collierville, etc.
The City of Memphis is not the only incorporated, sovereign city in the region.
All so-called “benefits” need not accrue to one City of Memphis. That’s slefish and impratical and wrong.
Actually, supporting a project or idea that proves beneficial to a limited area or segment of the population while doing harm to a neighboring community and population is the very definition of what is “selfish and impractical and wrong”.
If it proves harmful to any part or section of the region- it does a disservice to the region as a whole.
“commitment to regional planning.”
There’s a Plan?
Really?
Where is it?
does it really extend growth outside of the Parkways?
I-269. The middle-class answer to Willie’s invite to leave.
If you moved to Southaven to escape Whitehaven, what is your home going to be worth when everyone moves to Hernando?
If you moved from East Memphis to Collierville, where is your job going to be when there is a population shift toward Byhalia?
If you moved from Hickory Hill to Cordova, what is going to happen to your neighborhood when there is new development in Piperton?
If you moved to Arlington from Raleigh, do you not think a new subdivision in Hickory Withe is going to affect you?
The core of Memphis tanked due to decisions made before my retired parents were born. Memphis’s suburbs fell into decline because of decisions made before I was born. We are following the EXACT SAME PATTERN. What do you think the REGION will be like in the future? This is a disaster in the making.
Here is a fun game. Think of how many times your parents said something like, “I remember when Germantown Road was two lanes and some of it wasn’t even paved” or “I remember when Winchester stopped way back there”.
Then think about this. We have not yet built out all of the available property around I-55, I-40 and the 240 loop (all of which was completed about 40 years ago). This new I-269 loop will bring immediate access to literally 600% more property than was available for the previous loop… that did not produce what it said it would in the way it was intended.
Then imagine who will be first to say this, “I remember when Bartlett and Olive Branch were the hot places to be”.
I-269 will prove just as devastating to Germantown as to Memphis, and will also in the end be a negative drain on Collierville.
Thanks, John. As usual, you nailed it.
Anonymous: Even if you think this helps “socialization” and people should live whereever they want to live, why should the rest of us pay for that decision? Let them pay the cost, the real costs, of making that decision. People in Memphis who have paid for their own infrastructure shouldn’t have to subsidize them. In time, the suburban “cities” will realize the same, because it is in truth a false economy, unsustainable and unrealistic for a healthy community.
Vote for Scott Banbury for District 7 or give me money 😉
I’m the only person in this race–or current Council person–that opposed this boondoggle.
Re: Anonymous 8:26am
If the real costs of an I-269 outer loop were calculated, particularly to include the opportunity costs of more low-density development, which would be as much as sixteen times what they COULD be in a more urban environment, you would clearly see how extravagantly unaffordable more suburban sprawl spawned by ANOTHER outer interstate loop really is. A recent study done by Tallahassee showed that given their expected population increase over the next twenty years of roughly 45,000 households, the costs of those households settling at about one household per acre would be roughly $256,000 per HOUSEHOLD in surface roads alone. That number was contrasted with other densities, showing that if households settled at 8 households per acre, the cost per household dropped to $21,000 per household, or at the very aggressive 20 households per acre, only $12,000 per household.
If you have a fiscally conservative bone in you at all, those numbers should be staggering – plainly, one household per acre is patently unaffordable (consider, we currently have over $250,000 in unpaid for debt per household in the federal budget deficit, doubling that by adding the same to each household on the municipal level is tantamount to fiscal suicide), some have even called it a Ponzi Scheme, because municipalities currently have no way of paying for their future infrastructure maintenance obligations. Said another way, it’s fiscally unsustainable, that terrible, progressive cuss word. But there is ample researching confirming this. Yet, with an I-269 planned to be completed, we in the Memphis region haven’t even stopped the bleeding.
Not to use pedantic labels, but even more research shows the propensity of conservative and liberal politicians to support interstate and highway projects versus urban mass transit. Overwhelmingly, Republicans support low-density highway and interstate projects, because low-density districts are the districts they represent. In our specific case, all of this is exactly what our “conservative” local leaders are pursuing, who think they stand to benefit from an outer loop that will “attract more investment.” Given the available data, however, it seems quite plain that when it comes to municipal finance and projects like I-269, “conservative” correlates quite strongly with fiscal gluttony, as opposed to conservatism, and with a philosophical propensity to deny that development practices of the past six decades have been bankrupting us with the note coming due and continuing them is a financial plank walk we’ll all be forced to endure.
Ever been to Tallahassee ? gee, I live in Florida, and most people in the “real Florida” can’t stand the place ! the city might as well be in Alabama
but, on topic, I was looking at the construction of 269, and my point of view is that it’s already in process/place, so why all the blowback and fuss ? it might allow for safer driving in an aorund Memphis by taking some of the flow (commercial) off the surface roads of Memphis as well
There also might be other services that pop up off any exits like service stops, hotels, restaurants, fun actvities, commercial/logistical warehousing or distribution, housing anf office facilties as well.
Maybe they could build a nice commuter airport on some vacant land, and specialize in short hops ! say Memphis to New Orleans, Dallas, Atl, Tulsa, etc or maybe it would boast general aviation pilots or training, etc.
Wow, I can imagine all kinds of private investment off that Perimeter 269.
Maybe a great Nascar venue- or a road course, or a drag strip all in one huge complex !
Maybe some more medical high tech ?? Rodeo ? Amusement Park ( maybe a “MidAmerica Disney” )
I like it, I like the upside !
Sounds like you’re for the toll idea. Thanks.
Agreed. If the road is a must and is of such vital importance as a commercial and industrial bypass, then placing a toll on the road is a natural and easy fit. Such a toll exists on the outer loops and bypasses around Oklahoma City, Dallas, Tulsa, Chicago, Orlando, Miami, Houston, Austin, Denver and Toronto. Surely those who see the road as a an asset would have no issue in showing their support by paying a fee for living in their throw back sprawl-topia.
Look how long it took for my city to get 459
what’s wrong with tolls, look at the Sunshine Parkway and the Crosstown/Lee Roy in TPA bay, they work in a lot of cities. The mere existence of this kind of additional perimeter could foster more satellite communities/villages that could develop their own identities completely outside of a Memphis identity. That may provide some clean slates, fresh ideas, and a clean expansive friendly and safe environments from which to choose. Maybe some huge developers, insurance companies, pension funds, bond funds/dirt bond funds, private equity companies, etc may want to invest some of their own private money. It’s done al the time and in the past, like the old USS, St. Joe Paper, Prudential, Aetna, Benderson, Lennar Homes, Blackrock (condos et al).
There also might be some public/private partnerships (which obviously would not involve The City of Memphis at all, or its tax payers) and in some cases it would not involve Shelby County government either.
Many other professionals have long since understood and agreed with the viability of the project and the viability of future intelligent development far far away from the City of Memphis. All you have to do is go look and read which companies, and other entities already OWN huge tracts of unimproved land. That should tell you that these people aren’t stupid land buyers. They are already in the game – bigtime.
Much of 240 traffic is already locals who are moving from one side of loop to another not the mythic truckloads.
We have more housing infrastructure in place today than we will be able to exhaust in 50 years.
Restaurants and fun activities only go where people are and further decentralization will crush that possibility.
We already have more airports and more flights than we can support.
Hotels go in places that have an abundance of business travelers who visit office concentrations that will never exist because of 269.
We have a midtown medical district that was almost killed because of an airport area medical concentration and east Memphis hospital flight that are both in jeapardy because of farther-east migration that will be further confused by a loop larger than Atlanta’s.
Warehouses and truckstops… Okay, I’ll give you that.
NASCAR track next to a world class dragstrip… We have that… Perhaps conveniently located near the northern leg of 269… Unfortunately, not even it’s own highway has been able to keep it open.
Let’s get off of our high-horse and assume for a moment that everyone else is correct. We must have 269 to move freight around the perimeter of Memphis in order to free locals from the congestion menace. Let’s also assume that land-use controls, tolling & taxing structures are impossible because this is a two state & four county jurisdictional nightmare.
Okay. Let’s toll to 240 loop not 269. 100% of it is in Memphis. If trucks are removed and now bypassing us, then all of the traffic would be local commuters and entirely our own people. Let’s toll it to A) keep trucks & tourists from cheating by taking the direct route through town, B) raise money to institute some inner city revitalization efforts, C) to eliminate casual trips therefor creating a true expressway and D) force some local traffic back onto commercial corridors that have been neglected since the 1970s.
Are tolls legal in TN? I can’t think of a toll road in this state. Anybody know?
Stay tuned. We plan on writing about tolls in a few days.
We’ve been told that there is nothing to prevent a toll. More to come.
I would hope no one would list bankrupt development companies and troubled financial institutions as guiding principles of an impossible suburban dream. Organizations such as St. Joe- they have yet to emerge back into the market and have in their possession literally tens of thousands of empty lots throughout the state of Florida to remind the nation of one of the triggers that initiated the recession.
I wonder if certain individuals are naive enough to think that the populations and the issues they are attempting to escape are somehow sedentary? Of course, no one could be so in the dark based on precedent and history. I would guess they have little knowledge that former outer ring suburbs nationwide have experienced urban decay as the population moves ever outward. If for no other reason this 1950’s, dark age, blast from the past should not be allowed to play out, then simply because of the inevitable complaints that will arise from the same individuals once their new ring becomes populated by “them”.
No, I think a single individual going by many names is simply having fun with this message board via a healthy dose of “trolling”.
However, it has been fun reading excerpts from the 1950’s planning playbook.
Thanks, SCM. Looking forward to learning more about the possibility of tolls in TN. I’m a big proponent.
RANT: It always amazes me when (some) people criticize light rail and other forms of mass transit because it “can’t pay for itself.” Yet, I never hear these folks insist on highways paying for themselves. Tolls are the rider fares of highways. What’s fair for transit riders should be fair for drivers, too.
ST. Joe??? lol, great example of a formerly valuable company that land-developed itself right into a cratered stock value. Moron. Found that Marine Corp serice record yet, liar?
the road is already being built, so it’s a moot argument against it, right ? lol
if you haven’t noticed Memphis is closer to 1950’s thought than it is in the 21st century or the same ole problems would be solved by a bunch of self-anointed web leaders who obviously have everything figured out.
you “leaders” have you work cut out for you, eh ?
It’s never a moot point when you’re trying to make transportation planning make sense. And there are lots of options for mitigating the damage from the highway, which has not been built.
Perhaps, some Memphians are still living in the 1950s, but there are fewer and fewer of them. Thank goodness.
half of them hold elected office. Most of those semi permanently, it seems. Well maybe fast forward from 1955 to 1968. But that’s about as far as their thinking goes.
How did you arrive at the economic segregation rankings? It’s interesting – can you point me to that data?
Grant:
The economic segregation rankings were developed by Portland economist Joe Cortright for his presentation about the Memphis region to Leadership Memphis a few years ago. We’ve worked with Mr. Cortright on talent attraction and retention strategies in other cities, and because of it, we thought his statistical profile of Memphis and his interpretation of its opportunities would be interesting here. They were, and one of his slides showed the top 51 metros and Memphis was #1 in economic segregation.
Here’s a report on economic segregation that he wrote for CEOs for Cities: http://www.ceosforcities.org/pagefiles/EconomicIntegration.pdf
He’s also the source of the data that created the Talent Dividend and the Green Dividend, both of which were foundations to Sustainable Shelby and the local Talent Dividend Initiative.
Semper Fi, dumbwoody.
@interested observer
~that’s the entire issue with Memphis in general ! that sort of backward thought has managed to also infect the thinking of these people’s children who are themselves grown locals who perpetuate the slow timing for change. That combined with an overt hostility to newcomers, transplants etc, will keep xeonophobism at a sufficient level to continue Memphis’ snail-like progress, when compared to many other cities. It also cracks me up that some academics actually believe what works in a city like Portland Oregon, or Austin TX, will be immediately applicable to this environment, when Memphis has absolutely nothing in common with a Portland Oregon for instance, and it’s not going to turn into a Portland Oregon either. In the real world of Memphis, leaders and planners have about 40 years to make up. Memphis is a remedial city, not a cutting edge city..never has been anything but what it is ..a large overgrown Mississippi-infested river and plantation-thought of a town. It will take at least 3 more generations or more, to shake that line of thought, and the negative image assoicated with it. Can it do it ? sure. Will it ? I have serious doubts.
@krakarappa
Far too many negative assumptions in that post, coupled with what I think are some gross misunderstandings of who’s actually living in our city today and what they’re doing, thinking and believing.
I’m glad you’re laughing at the academics and educated planning, design and development community, if that makes you feel better. Many of those people are the younger generation you’re alluding to – who have studied and experienced what’s happening in places like Portland and Austin, but who also know what’s going on in places like Detroit, Baltimore, Copenhagen, Rome.
Pertinently, Aaron Renn (theurbanist.com) posted recently about Portland being “too livable,” and suggested that it might lack a particular dynamic set of conflicts that give cities their definition and character. If you surveyed those young creatives who have relocated purposefully to places like Memphis, Detroit and Baltimore, I think you might find that Renn’s instincts are correct. That is to say, there are people in Memphis, right now, who are very much inspired by the successes of the Portlands, Austins, and Copenhagens of the world, but who understand that it will take a unique Memphis “dry rub” to really apply those lessons and come up with our solutions to our unique circumstances in the fight to make our city an authentic, livable, sustainable city of choice.
Your doubts are disappointing. Everyone, of course, is welcome to participate in enjoying the progress of moving the city forward, however, negativity and naysaying, particularly owing to explanations of some inevitably disappointing future based on failures of the past, are, for the lack of a better term, “completely played out.”
played out ? wow ~ “completely played out” ?? it’s reality bud- about Memphis
Besides, it’s a freekin stretch to compare Memphis with PORTLAND — you can’t be serious. Also, Austin would probably resent being placed alongside Memphis in TN, just based on overwhelming “Texas Pride” and “Texas identity” – again, Texans laugh their asses off in any mention of Memphis in comparison, whether it’s Austin, Dallas or other cities in Texas. Austin and Portland have entirely different demographics than Memphis.
Using Portland as a model for the people living in Memphis is humorous, and,, er, wrong. Memphis could never mimic Portland. That’s baying at the moon friend and comparisons don’t work in the least.
Hell, Austin TX is like night and day compared to Memphis. Texas has its own distinct history, style, flavor and people. Nothing in TN compares well to anything in The State of Texas. NOTHING in The State of OREGON compares well to anything in west TN, or even Nashville fo godssake-
BTW, what thinking person would “purposefully” relocate to a disaster of a city like Detroit ?? The same has been suggested by some about the city of Memphis.
Detroit is a piece of failed junk – a lost cause, that has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory for the last 40 years. Some have also argued that has also applied to The City of Memphis.
“Texans laugh their asses off in any mention of Memphis in comparison, whether it’s Austin, Dallas or other cities in Texas”. Really? Being a bit dramatic today, aren’t we?
Dramatic and factless.
As for Detroit, the people moving there are a lot like the people moving to New Orleans: young, talented professionals who want to make a difference.
As for Portland, you just don’t know what you’re talking about. But that’s pretty consistent at this point. Portland 40 years ago, in the words of a leading citizen, was a —-hole of a city. But people decided it could be different and they set out to make it happen.
I’m hard-pressed why Memphis can’t do the same, except we need everyone to understand that cities are in a constant state of becoming. And we can become the force for it to become what we want it to be. The biggest problem we have is people who’d rather bitch and moan instead of joining in to make things better.
Here are a few facts for you to chew on
Most of the people in Memphis come from areas like small rural towns in W TN, ARKANSAS, and the glowing State of Mississippi.
If you believe that the residents of Portland OREGON share much cultural or educational history with the residnts of OREGON, then we shall have to frimly disagree, while I continue to laugh out loud.
New Orleans ?? hell, that place slid into being a total “chocolate city” (Mayor’s own terminology) a long time ago, and the crime and corruption started to be pervasive with this transition. Many citizens exited across the Lake or into Slidell, Gretna and well beyond and surrendered the city in toto to others, thereby indeed being a “chocolate city”.
Portland is no such thing. Austin is no such thing.
Memphis’ population is majority BLACK, like the City of New Orleans.
Is NOLA “rebirth” assured ?? hardly, just look around, drive around the lower wards, etc…besides, what idiot would plan massive investment in a “soup bowl” totally below sea-level again ? why not build a skyscraper on a fault line ??
First of all, for a city to emulate Portland, you have to have something to “work with”…I would submit that the human resource and the citizen talent pool of Portland, of Austin, etc bears no resemblance to that of Memphis….thus the outcomes may not bear similar fruit at all.
Of course every city is in a “state of becoming”..I agree. The difference is that some cities are MORE in a state of becoming that OTHERS. And I would observe that other cities have “more to work with”, and still others have had YEARS of a head start.
Some might suggest that that’s the real drag on Memphis’ prospects to achieve similar goals in a reasonable time.
The operative word is a “reasonable time”. Memphis’ awakening has not really occurred throughout the city in key sectors. Will it ? maybe, maybe not…my bet is that it might indeed occur..but in three or four generations….by a shorter time than that, some experts suggest that there will be several other cities emerging at a far quicker pace in the southeast and west.
Others may have reason to suggest thet the history of Memphis’ lack of urgency does not bode well for its competitive edge. That is something to contemplate comparatively for the near future.
correction:
I should have stated:
“If you believe that the residents of Portland OREGON share much cultural or educational history with the residnts of MEMPHIS (not OREGON as stated), then we shall have to frimly disagree, while I continue to laugh out loud.”
Still not a single fact. As usual.
A preconceived opinion searching for validation, it seems.
SHekel, ever found your Marine Corp service record? Was that another “fact” you just can’t get around to backing up, liar? Semper Fi, amigo.
of course it’s opinion …duh..that’s what the web is for !
validation my arse pal…lol…who on earth CARES about your validation on the goddam web ??
nutty it seems, yes yes, nutty it is
That may be what the web is for, in some distorted version of reality for you, but this blog is about opinions based on facts, none of which you have ever been able to offer.
Nutty is certainly the right word for what you submit. Thanks for the honesty.
So why try to “validate” your opinion by lying about being a U.S. Marine? You’re the one who says you need no validation. Nutty circular logic, there, shek. Nutty and obsessed, that is.
Portland has no juke joints.
The only part of that reply that was accurate was the fact that Anon’s opinions are indeed “simple”. As in, and this is for your benefit Anon, elementary, unknowing, untutored,shallow and vapid.
Some individuals are indeed warped if they make generalizations regarding approximately 1.3 million individuals based on the posts found on a particular web site. No one is required to “justify” an opinion. Of course, based on that and other comments anon has made, it is easy enough to understand why so many on the “world wide web” would fail to take this particular individual’s opinion as serious as they would hope. As for the “world wide web”’s opinion of Memphis- simply more hot air from a deflating balloon. The more you post and the more outlandish your claims, the less there is a need to debunk your brand of nothingness.
I cannot resist- one more question Anon:
If you do not care what anyone that posts at this site thinks of your opinion and believe that you need not base your opinion on reality then why do you go to such great lengths to attempt to defend your right to say whatever pops into your head? If the internet was so plainly structured as you suggest, there would be no need to type 90% of what you post on a regular basis. The simpleton doth protest too much, methinks.
There has never been a loop freeway that has ever lived up to the promises made for building it. Never. Nowhere.
You would think we would learn, but I guess not.
The very aspect that you are trying to get people to drive AROUND the city instead of THROUGH the city is what makes them fail. You WANT people IN the city (and the metro area). You WANT tourists to stop and eat and get fuel. You want trucks to stop and buy parts and food and fuel. You want people to be moving slowly along the surface streets to see what the stores and shops have to offer. (Which is why business goes up when you make a street walkable and bikable because people on foot or bicycle are far more likely to stop in a store or shop than someone speeding by in a car).
Again, there has NEVER been a loop freeway that has lived up to it’s promises. All that happens is we keep building them saying “maybe it will be different this time”.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.