Congestion
Congestion Not Likely to Improve Around Birmingham
Anyone who commutes along I-65 or U.S. 280 around Birmingham, knows those highways can get congested. But those are far from the only roadways feeling pressure. Backups are annoying and have real costs.Birmingham Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West talks about that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace. He also explains why retail has been lagging in downtown Birmingham's revival.
US 280: Tolling
All this week we've been exploring the debate around a plan to stem congestion on U.S. 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. The proposal from the Alabama Department of Transportation would add elevated lanes to a portion of the route. It would also add tolls to four lanes. But how effective would tolling be? WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Richard Arnott, an urban economist at the University of California, Riverside. Arnott says tolls are one strategy cities use to control congestion. But toll roads are less common within a metropolitan area.
US 280: The BBA’s View
All this week we're exploring the debate around reducing chronic congestion along U.S. 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. The most prominent plan to address the problem comes from the Alabama Department of Transportation. It calls for adding lanes to the route with a portion of the highway elevated. It would also make some of the lanes tolled. One of the most visible backers of the state's plan is the Birmingham Business Alliance. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with the BBA's Vice President of Operations, Barry Copeland, about the proposal.
