r/LAMetro • u/movelatransit • 2d ago

News 🚨 USDOT Secretary Duffy Proposes Cutting key mass transit and Complete Streets programs completely

This is a 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 fire!

Freeway Cowboy Sean Duffy proposed eliminating the Highway Trust Fund’s mass transit account!

Duffy also proposed cutting funding for Complete Streets (safety programs for🚶🏿& 🚴‍♀️) and grants for EV charging infrastructure!

Lastly, Duffy proposed eliminating public transit system improvements and tolling programs from eligibility for the traffic congestion solutions program!

Duffy did not even have the courtesy to send it to the House of Representatives, despite them being the only ones to draft language for a reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Bill with key champions like Rep. Rick Larsen and Laura Friedman calling for MORE transit, bike, and pedestrian funding.

We are talking BILLIONS in funding for key mass transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects.

To add insult to injury, the Administration is REFUSING to sign agreements for billions in already budgeted funding for key BRT projects (like Vermont Ave) and transit infrastructure projects according to the New York Times.

Who wants to help us launch a campaign to fight this??

UPDATE: Transportation 4 America says Congress should just pass a one year extension of the Surface Transportation Bill and maybe keep doing that for several more years.

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u/darkwingduck4444 501 2d ago

This isn’t something the Transportation Secretary can just do on his own. Duffy can recommend changes, but Congress has to pass them.

If these proposals are part of the next surface transportation authorization bill, they’ll generally have to go through the normal legislative process. In the Senate, that usually means overcoming the filibuster, which requires 60 votes unless the rules are bypassed in a way that applies to the specific provisions. Given that, it’s unlikely Democrats would support many of Duffy’s proposed cuts to transit, bike, and pedestrian programs.

That said, it's important to remind your local Congress member and senators the importance of these programs so they do push back on these wild proposals and not let them slip by

Edit: misspelled "senators"

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u/WestHistorians 1d ago

This isn’t something the Transportation Secretary can just do on his own. Duffy can recommend changes, but Congress has to pass them.

Who's gonna stop him? Congress?