The Story of Highways 2

Why remove the highway?

Since the DC-295 highway was built, our values have changed. Today, we are striving to create a more environmentally just future. We recognize that transportation infrastructure like this does more to divide than it does to connect. The big fundamental underlying question here is who does this highway serve? Our research shows it’s not really the residents of southeast DC, and further, that for them it is a barrier blocking access to the parks, river, and greater DC.

River Culture

Southeast residents have important cultural ties to the Anacostia River, it is high time they had ease of access as well.

We’re so inspired by personal stories like this. This is Rodney Stotts, whose recently published memoir, Bird Brother, chronicles how when he got involved with the Anacostia River cleanup efforts at the Earth Conservation Corps, his encounters with wildlife and nature on the river completely transformed his life.[1] We think this opportunity to enjoy interacting with nature and communicating with wildlife is a fundamental human need that some communities have been cut off from. This project can serve as a vehicle to address that issue.

1951 City before highway

Highways Past: Environmental Racism and Displacement

Highways were constructed to serve convenience for a few, at the expense of environmental health and the well-being of the many.

America has a long and shameful history of constructing freeways through low-income neighborhoods; as highways were intended to serve white populations moving out to the suburbs while invariably displacing entire urban communities and creating areas of highspeed traffic and pollution that continue to affect the health and safety of those who live there.[2]

The economist Matt Yglesias put it this way: “Highways beget corruption of the city core: they make it less pleasant to live downtown, at the very same time they make it easier to live farther away.”[3]