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As gas taxes dwindle, states seek ways to charge EVs

Sep 12, 2023
With electric vehicles becoming more common, some states, like Texas, are levying flat fees to make up the shortfall.
Some road maintenance is funded by gasoline tax revenue, so the increasing popularity of  electric vehicles may require new ways to bring in cash.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Don't panic, it's just a roundabout

Dec 22, 2022
The modern roundabout was created in 1960s Britain. But since the '90s, the small Indianapolis suburb of Carmel, Indiana has slowly become the roundabout capital of the United States.
Popularized in Great Britain, roundabouts work around the key behavior of yielding to those already inside the circle.
James Brey/Getty Images.

Next on Democrats' agenda, a "holistic" infrastructure bill

Mar 15, 2021
Green energy, internet connectivity and new school buildings are likely to be on the agenda for the White House and Democrats.
Climate change and green solutions, like wind and solar power, will be a likely focus of the Biden administration's infrastructure plan. Above, a worker installs solar panels.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

People are finding ways to get their potholes filled

May 13, 2019
From vigilantism to crude graffiti, how civilians are fixing their streets.
In Oakland, California, two men calling themselves the Pothole Vigilantes have begun collecting donations and filling potholes at night.
Ben Bradford/Marketplace

The future of American infrastructure might lie in public-private partnerships

Feb 6, 2019
The promise of investment in "cutting-edge" technology came out of this year's State of the Union.
Then-U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke (L) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao (C) watch US President Donald Trump speaks wave during his visit to the U.S. Department of Transportation on June 9, 2017 in Washington, D.C. 
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

What happens to abandoned cars

Jul 19, 2017
You've always wondered: Can we use them to pay for better roads?
A tow-truck pulls a vehicle away from a non-parking zone.
Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images

America’s infrastructure is underachieving

Mar 9, 2017
The grade: D+. But there were a few categories improved upon.
Heavy traffic moves southbound and northbound along I-95 in Quantico, Virginia.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Fierce opposition to gas tax proposal in Tennessee

Feb 27, 2017
Despite closed bridges and major bottlenecks, the state still faces an uphill fight for its first gas tax increase in 28 years.
A panel in the Tennessee House of Representatives opens debate over a proposal to raise the state's gas tax by 7 cents a gallon. 
Chas Sisk/Nashville Public Radio

Georgia project aims to build smarter roads

Feb 13, 2017
Cars are getting more sophisticated, and 'dumb' highways are slowly evolving to catch up to them.
An SUV tests a system that allows drivers to check tire pressure without leaving their vehicle. Built by United Kingdom startup WheelRight, it's part of an effort to transform a stretch of Interstate Highway 85 in Georgia into a testing ground for technology.
Bradley George/Georgia Public Broadcasting

Local Money: Why all of our roads are so bad

Jan 15, 2016
A run-down on why America has a big infrastructure problem.
A crumbled road surface sits along Woodward Avenue where the new commuter light rail with be constructed December 30, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan.
Joshua LOTT/AFP/Getty Images