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States across the country spend billions on highway construction projects that don't relieve congestion.

Now, some cities are rethinking the future.

I've only ever grown up in cities wrapped by highways. It's hard to imagine anything different.

But like a lot of cities are tearing down highways and building something else in their place.

It's Monday, November 11th, and you're listening to Science Friday.

I'm SciFri producer Dee Petersmith.

Have you ever been stuck in traffic and had the thought,

if only this highway was a little wider so it could fit more cars? Well, you aren't alone. In 2022,

federal, state and local governments in the U.S. spent $127 billion on highway construction.

Their transportation departments say expanding highways as necessary to ease traffic and to encourage economic development.

But decades of research shows the opposite effects when highways are expanded, that travel

times actually increase when more lanes are added, not to mention the extra pollution

that comes along with them.

So how does this happen?

And why do we keep expanding highways even though the research says it doesn't work? Here's Iraflato with them. So how does this happen? And why do we keep expanding highways even though

the research says it doesn't work? Here's Ira Flato with more. Here to explain the science behind

highway widening and how some states are actually rethinking their approach to traffic is Megan Kimball.

She's a journalist and author of the book City Limits, Infrastructure Inequality,

and the Future of America's Highways. She's based in Austin, Texas. Welcome to Science Friday.

Thank you for having me. Lots of highways in Austin, right? Lots of highways. I'm one mile from I-35

right now. Well, let's get to the point. You know, it does seem logical that if you want less

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