Far from kickstarting a transformative change in transportation policy, the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law continues to fund traditional road-building projects.

Despite President Biden’s assertion that the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law was “a historic spending measure that would not only improve the nation’s dilapidated roads and bridges, but also address climate change and help communities recover from past transportation policies that segregated people of color,” funding from the bill is in fact largely “fueling a rush of highway projects like Houston’s expansion of Interstate 45 that could undercut the administration’s environmental goals, said Beth Osborne, a former acting assistant secretary for transportation policy at the Department of Transportation.”
This according to an article by Mike Lee in Climate Wire, which asserts that without changes to “long-standing funding formulas that historically have fueled state efforts to pave more lanes,” the law will continue to fund traditional road expansion projects.
As one example, Lee outlines the contentious history of the North Houston Highway Improvement project, an expansion of Interstate 45 which the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is attempting to push forward with despite years of opposition from local leaders, including the city’s mayor, and community groups. After ordering the agency to stop work on the project while the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) investigated a civil rights complaint, “In March, FHWA said it had resolved its civil rights investigation and reached a settlement with Texas officials that would allow the project to be built.”
FULL STORY: A transportation ‘revolution’? How the infrastructure law is fueling freeways.

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
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