A series of federal transportation grants earlier awarded by the Department of Transportation may be at risk, depending upon policies instituted by Sean Duffy, the new Transportation Secretary.
According to a report put together by the Washington-based advocacy group Transportation for America, projects with a total dollar value in excess of $51 billion could go by the wayside. That’s because the grants, which were already awarded by the DOT, have not yet been obligated.
That obligation is a part of a legal and procedural process between the DOT and whomever has been awarded a grant which is essentially a binding commitment on the part of Washington to come forward with the funding for a project.
The Transpiration for America report says that the DOT in a memo sent to state transportation departments across the country specifically asked those agencies to review awarded grants in the areas of green, bike, and electric vehicle infrastructure projects.
Notes the publication Smart Cities Dive, the memo was additionally concerned with projects that “include or reference climate change, racial equity, or environmental justice, among other criteria.”
In reviewing the span of transportation grants awarded during the Biden administration, the current DOT leadership is “setting the precedent that any project not underway can be undone when there is a new president.”
The report additionally asserts that of the $7.6 billion earlier awarded under the DOT’s RAISE/Build program, which has provided funding for surface transportation projects, roughly $6.4 billion has yet to be obligated.
The DOT has not responded to the Transportation for America report, nor has it said when it will determine which previously awarded projects grants will be obligated.
March 27, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
