Summary
- Biden created a transportation equity grant program three years ago.
- Funded projects improve access for disadvantaged neighborhoods.
- Grants support walkability, safety, and environmental remediation.
- Over 130 communities across 41 states benefited from funding.
For a long time, they had been looking for financing to construct two underpasses to cross the interstate highway that splits the city in two, causing persistent traffic congestion near two schools.
The administration later emphasized the importance of the project in breaking "a vehicle dependency that is often disproportionately borne by marginalized communities," and local authorities applied for a grant for it when the president of the United States promoted equity in transportation initiatives.
They received $87 million from the Biden administration.
Next followed the Republican takeover of Washington and the move by President Trump to eliminate "radical and wasteful government D.E.I. programs."
The Transportation Committee's chairman, Representative Sam Graves of Missouri, praised the rollback for "cutting wasteful Green New Deal spending."
According to federal statistics obtained by The New York Times, financing was withdrawn for 55 projects in all, 19 of which were supposed to be constructed in Republican congressional districts.
These featured bike and pedestrian routes, new underpasses and overpasses, and the reconstruction of highways. Representative Aaron Bean's $147 million project to design and construct a 30-mile trail in Jacksonville, Florida, and Representative Ryan Zinke's $74.9 million project to rebuild a highway in Missoula, Montana, as well as Representative Celeste Maloy's project in St. George, were the largest included in G.O.P.-held districts.
In recent months, Republican members of Congress have once again aligned themselves with Mr. Trump's ideological agenda in ways that might potentially harm their own voters, as evidenced by the little-known cancellations.
Additionally, last month, Republicans in Congress voted to give the president the authority to revoke public broadcasting funding, especially for stations that can serve as essential communication hubs in rural areas, many of which are represented by the G.O.P.
Regardless of their partisanship or ideological inclinations, state and local officials frequently bend to the president's wishes and goals when federal funds are available, and they may be swayed by shifting political tides in the process. This is also reflected in the transportation funding whiplash.
As the domestic policy bill moved through Congress, Democrats on the House Transportation Committee were particularly upset that Republicans had targeted the grants, pointing out that the money had benefited both G.O.P. and Democratic districts.
“I’m unsure if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle intended to rescind funds that help reduce road fatalities and make our streets safer, or if the word ‘equity’ is so triggering because you think inclusion is a bad word,”
Representative Marilyn Strickland, Democrat of Washington and a member of the transportation panel, said at a committee hearing on the legislation in April.
How would the proposed project change connectivity for affected neighborhoods?
It would repair or eliminate barriers, such as highways or poorly designed roads, that currently separate neighborhoods, making it safer to connect pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections across communities.
The project would create streets that were more walkable, bike-friendly streets; a multiuse trail and greenways that would provide equitable transportation options, especially for underserved populations without automobiles. The project would reconnect fragmented neighborhoods, allowing for greater community cohesion, enabling residents to have greater access and mobility to jobs, schools, health care and local businesses.
The introduction of new infrastructure improvements will encourage safer active transportation overall, decrease injuries related to traffic, and encourage healthier activities like walking and riding a bike. The project engages residents through outreach and participatory planning allowing the project to be shaped by local needs, while building pride and ownership in the neighborhood.