As the U.S. doubles down on infrastructure, here’s how to build bridges for people instead of cars

In the United States, infrastructure tends to really mean two things: roads and bridges. The subtext there is that most infrastructure projects are primarily built for cars.

But they don’t have to be. Across the country, new bridges that are open, under construction, or in the design phase are turning cars-only projects into multimodal connectors. By cutting down on the road space meant for cars, and stretching out spaces for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit, these new bridges are pushing the definition of American infrastructure.

In Portland, Oregon, Tilikum Crossing was the city’s first new bridge over the Willamette River in more than four decades, when it opened in 2015, and was the first in the country to be built for transit, pedestrian, and cyclist use only.