Transportation Department Proposes Cuts to Bike Lane and Public Transit Funding
The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing to reduce funding for bike lanes and public transit, framing them as political and DEI initiatives.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed significant shifts in transportation policy, including substantial reductions in funding and support for public transit and dedicated bike lanes. Secretary Sean Duffy has characterized these infrastructure elements as part of "DEI" (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts, signaling a move away from previous administrations' priorities.
These proposed changes involve removing information related to bike safety from government websites and scaling back federal grants for bike lanes. The DOT's rationale suggests that bike lanes contribute to congestion and waste fuel, a claim disputed by cycling advocates. The League of American Bicyclists stated that DOT's own data shows bike lanes reduce crashes and do not increase congestion.
"Secretary Duffy is asking Congress to ignore the facts about bike lanes: They improve safety, don't cause congestion, and aren't a partisan issue," said Laura Jenkins, communications director for the League of American Bicyclists. Recent research from various cities globally has indicated that bike lanes can, in fact, reduce traffic congestion and improve overall road safety for all users.
Beyond bike lanes, the proposal also calls for cuts to public transportation funding and electric vehicle infrastructure. It suggests eliminating the Highway Trust Fund's mass transit account and altering requirements for the Complete Streets program, which currently mandates the inclusion of sidewalks and bikeways in projects aimed at pedestrian and cyclist safety.
The administration has been removing information on bike safety from federal websites, and Secretary Duffy has publicly described bike lanes in political terms on social media. With federal surface transportation funding set to expire on September 30, lawmakers and lobbyists are currently negotiating a funding bill that could incorporate these proposals, raising concerns about politics potentially overriding safety considerations.