Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday that his department would redirect $1.73 billion in Biden-era grants away from establishing “DEI bike lanes” to build roads and bridges instead.
So, what exactly is a “DEI bike lane?”
The Daily Wire pointed to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s claim that a series of 2021 grants funding bike lanes would serve to “improve infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, make us safer, advance equity, and combat climate change.”
Upon hearing “equity,” President Donald Trump’s goons can’t help but get triggered into attacking any federal spending that won’t benefit them directly. In reality, those Biden-era grants directed funds to build a new transit center in North Carolina, replace bridges in New Mexico, extend streets in New Hampshire, install traffic lights and crosswalks in Missouri, and install bike lanes in Seattle, among other projects. Now the financial status of these projects is unclear.
Why is grant money from 5 years ago even still around? Why didn’t they actually use the money for what it supposed to be used for in the last 5 years?
It was a common criticism at the time: a lot of the infrastructure bill was to work with state and local organizations to get stuff done. Entire networks of groups and agencies needed to be established and planned. At government speeds, that means many years before results are visible.
Biden-area initiatives would have made fundamental improvements over decades, assuming they were allowed to continue. But in today’s world of limited attention spans and constant outrage, we can no longer see long term efforts
I doubt every project started at the same time the day after the grants were approved.
They’ve had 5 years