Press Release
Posted:
Washington, D.C. – On Monday, November 17, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04) led a group of 34 Members of Congress demanding the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reverse the Department’s cancellation of bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects across our country. The group demanded the Department honor existing grant agreements and reaffirm its commitment to building safer, more connected communities.
“Communities across America have spent years planning bike lanes, trails, and pedestrian infrastructure that save lives and strengthen local economies,” said Thompson. “The Department’s decision to revoke these grants undermines local priorities and ignores Congress’s clear directive to support non-vehicular transportation. We’re calling on Secretary Duffy to reverse course and uphold the commitments made to our communities.”
Reports in recent weeks have detailed a wave of cancellations affecting projects in states such as Alabama, Illinois, New Mexico, and Connecticut. Each project had been awarded discretionary federal funding through programs such as BUILD, Safe Streets and Roads for All, and Reconnecting Communities—initiatives explicitly designed to improve road safety and accessibility for all users, not just drivers.
The Members highlight examples of canceled grants for important projects such as:
- An $11.7 million bike lane project in Fairfield, Alabama.
- A $675,000 trail improvement grant in McLean County, Illinois.
- An $11.5 million rail trail in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- A $5.7 million greenway project in Connecticut.
The lawmakers point out that many local governments have already incurred planning and design costs based on signed federal agreements. The lawmakers stress that cancelling these grants deprives communities of resources promised to make travel safer and spur local economic growth.
“Congress funded these programs to make streets safer, support healthy communities, and reduce congestion,” wrote the lawmakers. “Cancelling them is not in the best interest of the Department, the communities we represent, or the quality of life of the American people.”
Thompson and his colleagues are urging Secretary Duffy to reinstate the cancelled projects and ensure future funding continues for non-vehicular transportation initiatives.
A full copy of the letter can be viewed here and below.
November 17, 2025
The Honorable Sean Duffy, SecretaryUnited States Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Duffy:
As congressional supporters of bike infrastructure funding, we write with serious concerns over the Department of Transportation ignoring Congressional and local priorities through its cancellation of numerous bike and pedestrian projects. Congress supports investments in making bicycling safer through several funding mechanisms because we see the returns in stronger local economies, healthier residents, and safer roads.
Reports indicate that DOT cancelled discretionary grants because they were awarded to bicycling-related projects. For example:
- Reporting indicates an $11.7 million project to add bike lanes in Fairfield, Alabama, was cancelled because it ran “counter to DOT’s priority of preserving or increasing roadway capacity for motor vehicles.”
- A news report about a cancelled BUILD grant worth $675,000 in McLean County,
Illinois notes that “the Transportation Department told the county that the grant no longer aligned with its priorities.” - In Albuquerque, New Mexico, local reporting on a cancelled $11.5 million BUILD grant to construct a seven-mile rail trail indicates, “DOT’s withdrawal letter provided little justification beyond stating the department is focusing on car-based projects rather than people-based projects like the Rail Trail, according to the city.” The article states the trail “is estimated to generate $1 million to $3.2 million in annual economic impact and increase property values in the area.”
- And in Connecticut, the cancellation of a $5.725 million grant for a greenway was
explained as not aligning with the department’s priorities to improve the quality of life of the American people. If that is a priority for transportation grants, then, numerous studies have shown shared trails contribute greatly to improved quality of life.
These congressionally funded discretionary grant programs were specifically authorized and funded to support multimodal and bicycling projects. In the case of BUILD, Safe Streets and Roads for All, the Reconnecting Communities Program, and others, these programs reflect the will of Congress to support local communities’ road safety needs and the will of local communities who sought these grants.
We understand that these discretionary grants have been signed and agreed upon by both parties, including your agency, and they reflect valuable work and resources invested by local communities. Grantees have often already incurred costs upon the expectation of their grant agreement being executed, and so far grantees have yet to be offered a recourse to appeal their cancellation.
Cancelling these grants is not in the best interest of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the communities we represent, or the quality of life of the American people. Communities should be able to rely on an agreement signed by the federal government to build safer roads and trails for everyone.
These are common sense improvements in American communities, chosen as priorities by
American communities. Bike infrastructure investments generate economic activity and save vulnerable road users’ lives.
We ask that the U.S. Department of Transportation reconsider its cancellation of the funding agreements it signed with communities regarding non-vehicular modes of transportation, and continue to sign agreements for future projects related to bicycling and walking infrastructure.
Thank you for your full and fair consideration of this matter, consistent with applicable statute and agency guidelines. We look forward to an update on these grant agreements in the near future and how you plan to support bike infrastructure projects.