Written by Victor Wiesen, junior in the environmental studies program at the University of Cincinnati
I-75 ranks among the deadliest highways in Ohio, despite popular use for many individuals. Due to its popularity, traffic congestion has become a significant problem over the years as more cars are on the road. This congestion becomes even more true in the city of Cincinnati on and around the Brent Spence Bridge.
One proposed solution to relieve congestion is expanding the highway, however people in the area are divided. I argue we should not expand the I-75 expressway, because it will increase car demand, divert investment from improving public transit systems, and have environmental effects.
We can all agree that traffic is a problem, but expanding the highway will only lead to further issues like induced demand. Induced demand is the idea that creating more of any one thing increases the consumption of said things. In our case, adding more lanes will cause more cars to travel along the freeway, which will increase congestion.
Because expanding the highway isn’t the best solution, the Coalition for Transit and Sustainable Development (CTSD) launched the “People Over Pavement” campaign. They propose that instead of expansion, we instead focus our efforts on better public transit. I have to agree, as 21% of homes in Cincinnati do not have access to a car.
This expansion project is also a sinkhole with our money. Expanding the I-75 interstate would cost almost $4.4 Billion with payment being through a mix of state and federal taxes. Keeping in mind Cincinnati’s 25.5% poverty rate in 2024, which is higher than the national average, this investment would be a waste of our taxpayers’ dollars.
On top of induced demand and bad money management, there are environmental concerns. Cars are a well-known contributor to air pollutants. By eliminating at least one car and taking public transportation, it saves 30% of carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise be released into the air. In fact, public transportation saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
People in favor of highway expansion could argue that highway expansion benefits us economically. Brent Spence Bridge alone carries more than $1B worth of freight every day, so highways do play a vital role in national supply chains. However, even trucks that carry our freight must deal with traffic congestion. If we have fewer cars on the expressway then these trucks will have no problem getting to their destinations, thus contributing to our economic system.
Society needs to do better, but we can start in our cities. If Cincinnati were to take initiative and build better transit systems over highway expansion, then that would decrease the amount of people on the road. Overall, by not expanding the I-75 expressway and advocating for improved public transportation, we would be building a better Cincinnati.
Written by Victor Wiesen, a junior in the environmental studies program at the University of Cincinnati. He is committed to environmental justice issues, and as a college aged student he wants to see the city provide justice for current and future generations.
