The Trump administration’s decision to cut funding for bike lane projects, labeling them as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, is drawing sharp criticism from non-motorized transportation advocates who say it will undermine roadway safety.
Funding redirected to roads and ports
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on X earlier this month that $1.73 billion previously allocated for what he called “Biden-era DEI pet projects” had been redirected to “America’s actual backbone: ROADS, BRIDGES, AND SHIPPING PORTS.” The administration also removed bike lanes and speed cameras from the Federal Highway Administration’s list of proven safety countermeasures.
“For this administration to come in and say, ‘Yes, I know the agency said yes to you last year, but now we are going to pull it back,’ creates a huge amount of uncertainty for cities and towns and communities that have invested in planning and identifying safety concerns or areas for economic growth,” said Caron Whitaker, deputy executive director for the League of American Bicyclists. “It slows the safety improvements … It reduces those improvements to quality of life.”
Cancelled grants and local impacts
Under former President Joe Biden, the Transportation Department awarded billions through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. For example, $11.4 million was granted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a trail to separate bicyclists from cars and connect underserved communities. Fairfield, Alabama, was to receive $11.7 million for a 3.8-mile project creating separated bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Both grants were cancelled last year, with the administration describing them as “hostile to motor vehicles,” according to Politico.
On July 7, Duffy posted the funding shift, writing: “Remember when Biden and Boot-edge-edge used YOUR MONEY for DEI bike lanes and climate change? THAT’S OVER.” The post linked to a Daily Wire story that claimed no RAISE grants—renamed Build by the Trump administration—would fund bike lanes. The transportation department did not respond to questions about which grants were cancelled or what constituted a “DEI bike lane.”
Public support and safety benefits
Despite the administration’s actions, a 2025 YouGov survey found that 75% of US adults support having bike lanes where they live, with 33% wanting more and 37% satisfied with existing numbers. Bike usage is rising: in August 2025, New York’s Citi Bike saw over 5 million rides, an 11% increase year-over-year. Research indicates bike lanes improve safety for all road users. A study in the Journal of Urban Mobility found that bike lanes marked with cones and delineators reduced average maximum speeds by 28%. A 2009 study in Environmental Health reported a 53% reduction in collision frequency.
“The federal administration right now is spending a lot of political capital to make roadways less safe,” said Erik Noonan, communications manager for the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. “They are calling it fiscal discipline. The math on that just doesn’t check out. This is infrastructure with some of the best return on investment, and it’s a rounding error compared with what we spend on any other type of transportation in this country.”
Opposition and local lawsuits
Not everyone supports bike lanes. In New York, a proposed two-way lane on 72nd Street in Manhattan faced criticism from Lester Wasserman, a fourth-generation shoe store owner, who said it would complicate deliveries and pedestrian access. Noonan countered that opposition often stems from “a misunderstanding of where safety comes from” and that the removal of bike lanes from the federal safety list will hinder advocacy.
The city of Albuquerque has sued Duffy and the Transportation Department over the cancelled grant. In 2025, New Mexico recorded 14 cyclist deaths, double the previous year and the highest in two decades, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “Getting people off the streets and into bike lanes or on to trails is going to help save lives,” said Terry Brunner, director of the city’s metropolitan redevelopment agency.
