Are underground roads a good idea?

By: Edward Zeng

Traffic is the worst. You’re wasting precious hours of your life sitting in an uncomfortable box while listening to the noise of tires grinding on asphalt. What if we just removed them? This photo by Human Transit shows how much space cars require, compared with how much space bikes or pedestrians require. If we just replaced all roads with bike lanes and train lines, wouldn’t everything be better? No.

What if we put roads underground?

This would make communities above ground more connected because the road isn’t there to act as a barrier. Animals could also migrate more easily. The asphalt could be replaced with greenspace, helping solve climate change.

However, there are many reasons why our roads aren’t underground today. One obvious reason is that it would cost too much. Every road needs to have a tunnel drilled for it, and there still has to be a way to get above ground. Floods would also drown the entire road system, making it unusable. Finally, the tunnels might become a hotspot for crime, as they are not easily accessible by police. There might still be traffic!