Stunning before-and-after photos spark hope for US infrastructure: ‘The after pictures are amazing’

Seattle got a makeover, and it does not disappoint. In a two-photo post on r/f***cars, the before-and-after shots show a breathtaking world of difference.

The before photo is dark and dismal, while the more recent photo is bursting with life. The Alaskan Way Viaduct was a double-decker highway that once dominated the Seattle skyline. When the final part was demolished in 2019, the area was replaced with pedestrian walkways, bike paths, more than 500 trees, and playgrounds.

KING 5 ABC Seattle News interviewed Ken Eubank, a local waterfront store owner, and reported, “Five years later, Eubank is pleased with the new view from his store. His customer base has changed from those seeking out his shop to people casually walking over from the other side of the waterfront.”

The noisy, dirty highway has been replaced with a more functional, accommodating, and greener choice for the city. The Waterfront Seattle Project should be completed by 2025.

According to the Department of Energy, more than half of all car trips were under three miles in 2021. Referencing analysis from researchers at Virginia Tech and Rutgers University, Big Think reported that 30% of all trips taken in the United States are under 1.6 miles and that only 12% of all trips are being walked, giving the U.S. the lowest walking rates in the world.

While one might shrug and chalk it up to people being lazy, you can’t ignore the fact that many cities have been built with vehicles in mind. Gradually, people have started to realize the impact of dirty energy transportation and its effects on our health — as well as its role in the overheating of our planet.

Creating infrastructure that accommodates other modes of transportation gives people the option and incentive to get to where they are going in more eco-friendly ways, like biking, walking, and public transit. If you replace a two-mile drive with a walk every day, you can cut more than 600 pounds of pollution in a year.

The before-and-after photos garnered a lot of applause and generated a little bit of debate.

“The after pictures are amazing,” wrote one Redditor.

“Good non-car options won’t exist unless there’s motivation to create them,” another argued in response to a comment complaining about the lack of transit options if roads are going to be taken away.

“Wait, we can have nice things?” another comment asked sarcastically.

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