Regarding horrible commutes, I for one believe that it is the companies who demand in person work who are the ones who are being coddled here with transport infrastructure. In reality, we need a two speed road network-- one for seriously heavy trucking, and the other for bikes. I have no problem giving up my personal car, if that's the angle you are going to take.
But frequently, those governments do not charge people who live in sparsely-populated areas enough to cover those increased costs.
For example, a mile of urban street/utilities might serve 40,000 people, while a mile of suburban street/utilities may serve 400.
There's a decent amount of writing and videos on the subject, both for[1] and against[2]. The "for" arguments have convinced me because they use data and are presented by experts in urban planning and government, while the "against" arguments rely on appealing to principles/emotion and are frequently presented by politicians who treat the suggestion as a cultural threat.
1: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason...
2: https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/do-cities-really-subsidiz...
"[the homeowners] do fault their real-estate agent and [the seller], who signed a purchase-and-sale agreement, a copy of which was viewed by The Wall Street Journal, stating that [the seller] did not know of any future public use of the land."
Should be pretty cut-and-dry, especially given the seller's statements earlier in the article.
"Louis Gallo, who sold the Hendels the vacant, 0.64-acre parcel of land for $165,000 in December 2023, said there is no way the couple didn’t know the bridge relocation was a possibility. 'They’ve been talking about this bridge for 40 years, at least,' said Louis, who lives across the street in a house that will also be taken by eminent domain."
So, Gallo's claiming everyone knew the bridge was coming. The buyers have a signed document stating that Gallo didn't know that. Gallo's claiming he never signed such a document.
They'll get something from the state for the house, and probably either a settlement or damages from Gallo, assuming the document isn't an elaborate hoax.