4,400 miles of US cycling infrastructure face potential removal
The Trump administration has labeled bike lanes as “DEI” — diversity, equity, and inclusion — and moved to freeze or cancel related federal grants, according to a Sunday Guardian opinion piece by Los Angeles-based writer and humorist Dave Schilling. The reporting describes an administration stance that has framed cycling infrastructure as taking road space from cars and creating traffic, and reports the administration as describing alternative transit as “unworkable in the United States.”
The Guardian account reports that the administration has suggested removing existing bike lanes and cited the infrastructure’s impact on traffic congestion as justification. The administration’s stated objections, according to the opinion piece, include the argument that bike lanes “take space away from cars, create more traffic, and lead to chaotic roads.”
The United States has approximately 4,400 directional miles of bike lanes, according to the Guardian piece, with the push for dedicated cycling infrastructure dating to the 1960s. Bike lanes are typically described as a carbon-neutral alternative to automobile travel, offering what the Guardian account characterizes as a way to reduce pollution and traffic congestion.
Schilling’s reporting cites studies linking bike lanes to improved road safety, with the infrastructure encouraging drivers to slow down and reducing the risk of collisions with cyclists. The Guardian account frames the administration’s DEI characterization of bike lanes as lacking clear logical grounding, noting that cycling is widely practiced and that bike lanes serve practical transportation and safety functions.
The opinion piece does not specify which federal grants have been frozen or canceled or detail a timeline for the potential removal of existing bike lanes, relying on the administration’s public characterization of cycling infrastructure rather than citing specific agency actions or funding documents.