UCLA master’s project on freeway removal, redesign wins national award

UCLA graduate Carolyn Pugh, MURP ‘24 has been named the latest recipient of the Council of University Transportation Centers’ (CUTC) Neville A. Parker Memorial Award for her groundbreaking research on freeway removal and redesign. Pugh accepted the award at the CUTC’s Jan. 4 annual banquet ceremony in Washington, D.C (pictured right).

The Parker Award recognizes two students each year for their exceptional master’s projects in the field of transportation policy and planning, and science and technology. This marks the third consecutive year that a UCLA student has won — and the 14th overall since 2002.

“It was an honor to receive the award, and is a reflection of all the support offered by ITS, UCLA faculty, and the many people in Rochester [New York] who were generous with their time and knowledge.”

In addition to the Parker Award, Pugh’s research project — Rochester’s Inner Loop Freeway-to-Boulevard Project — earned her the 2024 UCLA ITS Excellence in a Transportation Equity & Justice Capstone Prize.  

For her capstone, Pugh conducted a comprehensive, mixed-methods case study on the Inner Loop East Project, a freeway-to-boulevard project in Rochester, New York. Her research assessed the project’s impact on adjacent communities, including mobility, connectivity and housing outcomes. She also evaluated the community engagement process that shaped the project, conducting interviews with community members and city planning staff. 

Pugh’s client was the U.S. EPA Office of Community Revitalization, who tasked her with identifying key lessons for future freeway removal and redesign projects to address air quality, traffic, displacement, and community engagement.

The Office of Community Revitalization’s involvement reflects a broader national effort to address the harmful impacts of freeways, which have disproportionately affected Black and brown communities. In the case of Rochester, Pugh found the Inner Loop East Project succeeded in improving mobility and connectivity and creation of new affordable housing units, but that it likely also contributed to gentrification in the area and displacement of Black and low-income residents.

Pugh’s faculty advisor Dr. Regan Patterson, professor of civil and environmental engineering, celebrated the study’s applications for improving future freeway removal and redesign projects.     

“Carolyn’s capstone project provides critical insights into the benefits and shortcomings of what is considered a model freeway removal project,” Patterson said.

“The important lessons that she identified through her research can be used to inform future freeway removal design processes, research questions, and evaluation measures in order to ensure equitable decision-making and outcomes for existing residents.”

Image: City of Rochester, New York

This article originally appeared on the UCLA ITS website.