As the U.S. Department of Transportation pulls funding for bike paths and lanes nationwide, what this could mean for Missouri cyclists is unclear.
The Transportation Department has been pulling government funding set for bike paths and bike lanes since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
In July, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X that he had redirected money from “Biden-era DEI pet projects,” targeting bike lanes in particular.
The Trump administration rescinded $2.4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act, targeting the Biden administration’s Neighborhood Access and Equity Program. Of these funds, at least $750 million were dedicated to trails, walking paths and bike lane projects, according to Stateline.
According to The League of American Bicyclists, Missouri received an average of $13.9 million in federal funding per year between 2022 and 2024 that was dedicated to walking and biking infrastructure projects. This was a 71% increase from the 2019 to 2021 average.
What the rescission of funding means for Missouri at large is still vague. City spokesperson Christopher Ave believes that Columbia’s funding is secure.
“As far as we can tell, federal funding for all existing city projects remains secure,” Ave said. “As we typically do, city administrators will evaluate administration statements and policies involving future projects, but it is too early to determine whether we will see any impact.”
This rescission of funding is part of a larger trend of the Trump administration, prioritizing expanding roads and highways instead of alternative forms of transit like biking or walking. The Transportation Department has also removed bike lane references and safety materials from federal websites.
The Transportation Department has an approved budget of $116.5 billion for fiscal year 2026. The portions of that allocated toward alternative transit infrastructure are small, so any cuts to it can have significant effects, said Mike Burden, director of Local Motion, a Columbia-based group advocating for transportation equity.
“For everyone there’s a lot of uncertainty,” Burden said. “Any proposed cuts to what is already a tiny amount is significant.”
Burden continued by explaining why alternative forms of transit are important.
“We know from years of study that communities are better and more vibrant when everyone has more ways to get around,” Burden said.
