The Donald Trump administration has put forward a "car-centric policy" and moved to withdraw federal subsidies for pedestrian facilities and bike lanes. Experts are voicing concerns that such measures could increase street congestion and actually worsen traffic jams.
According to Bloomberg on the 22nd (local time), the Trump administration recently canceled a large number of subsidies for current road improvement projects on the grounds that they do not align with car-focused road design. In early this month, $1.2 million (about 1.67364 billion won) allocated to a road improvement project in San Diego, California, was canceled because it would reduce car lanes to secure bike lanes, and funding for a pedestrian path project in Fairfield, Alabama, was also reportedly withdrawn on the grounds that converting some lanes into a walking trail was inappropriate.
With subsidies cut, the projects have effectively lost momentum. The Fairfield pedestrian path project was halted entirely after the $11.7 million in subsidies disappeared, and a bike path construction project that McLean County, Illinois, has pursued since 1999 is also facing difficulties due to a budget shortfall just before construction of the final 9-mile section.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of Transportation swung the ax at existing maintenance projects on the 9th, cementing its car-first stance. A Transportation Department official said, "Expanding or at least maintaining the area of car roads is the department's priority," adding, "Turning lanes into bike lanes or walking paths runs counter to that priority."
In fact, since beginning his second term, President Trump has been scrapping transportation and environmental policies launched under the former Biden administration. In announcing the cancellation of subsidies, the Department of Transportation also drew a sword against the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program and the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) initiative, reflecting an intent to overhaul the previous administration's policies centered on renewable energy and public transit.
Experts say the government's stance runs counter to public demand and that these steps could instead cause traffic congestion. Kevin Mills, vice president for policy at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit that repurposes disused rail corridors, said, "Demand for pedestrian and bike paths is rising quickly even in Republican strongholds," adding, "Car-centric policies often are not effective at actually easing traffic congestion."
Local governments cut off from financial support are scrambling to devise countermeasures. The Boston city government said it is reviewing legal action, saying, "Unilaterally canceling subsidies secured through competition is a decision that ignores Congress's intent," and McLean County, Illinois, applied for State Governments subsidies immediately after receiving notice of the withdrawal.
Some say the formal announcement of subsidy withdrawals actually lifted a burden, in a tone tinged with self-mockery. An official in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which had secured $11.5 million in subsidies in 2022 to prepare a pedestrian path near the railroad but saw the project halted by the latest move, said, "Uncertainty had grown as the project sat idle for nine months," adding, "Now we can look for other funding sources."
Albuquerque Chief Administrative Officer Terry Bruner also said, "Rather than dragging their feet, it would actually be appreciated if the federal government would just step back quickly."