2-mile highway lane addition: $174M. 15-mile bike trail connecting 4 cities? $24M.
Oregon just finished a 2-mile highway expansion on the OR-217. It cost $174 million (Oregon DOT).
The Council Creek Region Trail (15 miles) that will connect Hillsboro, Cornelius, Forest Grove, and Banks will cost.... $24.2 million (Washington County).
For the cost a lane-addition on a loud, crowded, polluting highway, we could connect multiple town centers and have enough leftover to give every household in Washington County a $600 credit towards a bike / e-bike. (US Census)
Car infrastructure eats up massive tax dollars as invisible line items, not counting the hours of life lost sitting in traffic or the health costs of air pollution.
What would you rather see: another congested highway lane or bike infrastructure connecting your communities?