New Books Network Erick Guerra, "Overbuilt: The High Costs and Low Rewards of US Highway Construction" (Island Press, 2025)
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Feb 20, 2026 Erick Guerra, a University of Pennsylvania city and regional planning professor and transportation expert, discusses how U.S. highways became overbuilt and why current finance and planning tools keep encouraging widening. He traces historical policy choices, explores funding and evaluation flaws, and highlights alternatives like pricing, changing metrics, and rethinking project selection.
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Gas Tax And The 90% Match
- Early funding proposals included tolls and land value capture but the gas tax became the dominant funding mechanism.
- The 1956 federal match covered 90% of interstate costs, unleashing rapid construction.
Different Agendas Shaped Maps
- Military planners wanted routes that avoided cities while highway engineers often routed through cities.
- Erick Guerra notes politicians sometimes didn't know what they were voting for and maps looked like someone
The 3% Growth Shortcut
- Most modern work reconstructs existing highways and tends to widen them, often using projections like 3% annual traffic growth.
- That 3% assumption implies doubling roadway capacity about every 20 years and drives continual expansion.
