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What if highways had multiple uses?
With less space needed for high-speed car traffic, highways are developed as additional forms of public space -- basketball courts, energy harvesting plots, vegetated canopies and more are synthesized with traffic flows, creating new civic infrastructure...
Research informing this future
Autonomous vehicles are still in infancy stages but some researchers anticipate that when they become more widespread, they’ll improve traffic issues across scales. If traffic improves, highways might not need to be so wide as they are now, opening up opportunities for introducing alternative uses. These kinds of shifts are already starting to happen in major cities, with highways including bikes and pedestrian walkways on shoulder lanes. If traffic becomes less intense and people choose alternative transit modes, what other additional uses might be possible?
Additional information and action items
Needs of pedestrians throughout highway systems
National pedestrian safety month resources
Would you want multifunctional highways? Would you not? Why?
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