Bipartisan Efforts to Reconnect Neighborhoods at Risk if Trump Wins, Amid $3.5 Billion Highway Removal Initiative.

The Obama administration and Congress have allocated billions of dollars to remove inner-city freeways and reconnect neighborhoods that were impacted by road projects of the 1950s and ’60s. The money is intended to create jobs, reduce emissions, and heal scars left by highway boom. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has stated that racism is built into some of our highways. However, this plan could be jeopardized if Donald Trump wins the White House, given his criticism of the spending. The Transportation Department has announced about $3.5 billion in grants for the two programs, most of which have been completed in one round of awards in March. As of June, 19 percent of the $1.1 trillion approved for these programs had been spent, with around 30 percent remaining until fiscal 2025 or later. If Trump wins a second term, he could have the opportunity to redirect any funds that haven’t been fully allocated to state and local governments.