How Complete Streets Stands to Lose in the FY26 ‘Skinny Budget’

In an explainer for Transportation for America, Benito Pérez outlines the potential impacts on transportation of the President’s proposed Fiscal Year 26 ‘Skinny Budget.’

While, at first glance, the budget appears to have little impact on transportation, Pérez argues that “a closer look reveals that the budget, if implemented, stands to have outsized funding impacts on programs tied to Complete Streets, active transportation, transit, transportation electrification, and capacity building.”

According to Pérez, although transportation spending remains largely unchanged in the proposal, the lack of reference to certain programs such as Complete Streets and passenger rail “seems to strongly suggest that these programs are not priorities for the administration,” and the framework rescinds over $4 billion in IIJA funds.

Meanwhile, a proposal to eliminate the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, which supports Complete Streets programs, would eliminate crucial resources for local governments. “Lastly, the budget framework further targets investments and tax credits that support the growth and transition to electric vehicles, cutting more than $15 billion in IIJA funding from the Department of Energy.”

A more detailed version of the budget must be approved by Congress.