Three years ago, the Biden administration introduced a grant initiative designed to fund transportation projects that explicitly aimed to improve neighborhood access and promote equity.
Officials in St. George, Utah, long seeking support to construct two underpasses to connect the city divided by an interstate highway and alleviate traffic congestion near local schools, seized this opportunity. Their project was later highlighted by the administration as pivotal in reducing vehicle dependence disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.
The city was awarded $87 million under this program.
However, following the shift to Republican control in Washington, Congress passed a sweeping domestic policy bill that rescinded all unspent funds from this Biden-era transportation grant program—totaling $3.2 billion—including the allocation for St. George.
The chairman of the House Transportation Committee praised the rollback as a measure to eliminate what he described as "wasteful Green New Deal spending."
In total, funding was withdrawn from 55 projects, with 19 slated for Republican congressional districts. These projects ranged from highway reconstruction and new overpasses to pedestrian and bicycle trail developments. Major affected projects included a $147 million plan to design and construct a 30-mile trail in Jacksonville, Florida; a $74.9 million highway rebuild in Missoula, Montana; and the underpass project in St. George, Utah.
These largely unnoticed cancellations exemplify recent instances where Republican lawmakers have advanced an ideological agenda that may conflict with the infrastructure interests of their own constituents. Last month, Republicans also supported allowing the cancellation of funding for public broadcasting—services that are crucial communication channels for many rural areas, often represented by GOP members.
This abrupt reversal in transportation funding underscores how local and state officials often have to navigate shifting federal priorities, contorting plans to align with the prevailing administration’s agenda when federal dollars are involved.
Following the funding rescindment, some local leaders announced plans to scale back their originally intended projects.
An administrator from Montana’s Transportation Department noted that the state’s transportation demands exceed available resources, emphasizing the impact of lost funding.
Donna Deegan, the Democratic mayor of Jacksonville, recently shared on a local radio program that she was being encouraged to apply for alternative federal grants in hopes of regaining some support for the trail project.
She expressed uncertainty about securing the full $147 million again but remained hopeful.
Stefanie Seskin, policy director at the National Association of City Transportation Officials, described the funding rollback as causing widespread disruption.
She highlighted a $335 million initiative in Boston’s Allston neighborhood intended to realign the Massachusetts Turnpike, facilitating the development of a new community and train station, which now faces uncertainty without the grant.
Similar scenarios are unfolding in cities like Denver, Atlanta, and Chicago, where large capital grants have been pulled back, leaving communities in limbo.
In their effort to fund landmark tax cut legislation, Republicans targeted various programs established under President Biden’s 2022 climate agenda, including tax incentives for clean energy and funds supporting diesel emission reductions, species protection, and low-carbon transportation materials.
This legislative action was aligned with an executive order issued early in the previous administration that aimed to eliminate “equity-related” grants and contracts.
The order criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as illegal and immoral forms of discrimination embedded across federal agencies, affecting sectors from airline safety to the military.
Many of the canceled projects were consistent with the original program’s goals to promote equitable development and reconnect communities by removing or mitigating transportation barriers.
One example was a bicycle and pedestrian bridge in Vermont designed with gentle curves to encourage respectful passing and support active transportation.
Other projects adopted a more reserved approach in describing their alignment with the program’s aims. For instance, a Michigan project funded to study removal of highway railroad crossings was described as improving quality of life for residents affected by past policies, though specific historical practices were not detailed.
Democrats on the House Transportation Committee voiced strong opposition to the repeal, emphasizing that the grants had benefited districts across party lines.
A committee member expressed concern that the rollback might reduce opportunities to advance projects that enhance road safety, create jobs, and bolster local economies, suggesting that opposition may stem from discomfort with the term "equity."
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