{"id":29488,"date":"2025-03-12T02:23:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T09:23:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/dot-removes-equity-environmental-factors-from-iija-funding-decisions\/"},"modified":"2025-03-12T02:23:41","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T09:23:41","slug":"dot-removes-equity-environmental-factors-from-iija-funding-decisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/dot-removes-equity-environmental-factors-from-iija-funding-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"DOT removes equity, environmental factors from IIJA funding decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/images\/audio_icon.svg?482016190122\" alt=\"-\"><\/p>\n<p>        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">3 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1741713660\/news\/text_to_speech\/dot-removes-equity-environmental-criteria_mvbprl.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Dive Brief:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The U.S. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/briefing-room\/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-rescinds-memos-issued-biden-administration\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>DOT has rolled back a Biden-era policy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> that included environmental and social considerations in federally funded infrastructure projects, according to a Monday memo from the agency.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The move rescinds two Federal Highway Administration memos, issued in 2021 and 2023, both titled \u201cPolicy on Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Resources to Build a Better America.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Former President Joe Biden\u2019s policy advised state and local agencies receiving funds from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to prioritize projects that advance equity and environmental goals. The recission memo states that that policy will have no role in DOT programs going forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Dive Insight:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The rescission is the latest effort from the Trump administration to dismantle Biden&#8217;s signature policies. Previously, the DOT announced that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had authorized a series of actions to advance President Donald Trump\u2019s agenda to \u201crescind woke policies\u201d and roll back regulations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In January for example, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/dot-grant-preference-marriage-birth-rate\/738942\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>DOT said it would give grant preferences<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> to \u201ccommunities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the latest announcement, Duffy called the policy to include social and resilience considerations in funding decisions \u201can act of federal overreach.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cUnder President Trump\u2019s leadership, the Department of Transportation is getting back to basics \u2014 building critical infrastructure projects that move people and move commerce safely,\u201d Duffy said in the release.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Under the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250205092304\/https:\/\/www.fhwa.dot.gov\/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act\/using_bil_resources_build_better_america.cfm\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Biden administration\u2019s now-defunct guidance<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250205092304\/https:\/\/www.fhwa.dot.gov\/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act\/using_bil_resources_build_better_america.cfm\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>the 2023 update<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> of the same name, which have both been removed from the DOT website, the Federal Highway Administration was directed to:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Promote and improve safety for all road users, particularly vulnerable ones.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Support accelerated project delivery and an efficient environmental review process through the One Federal Decision framework.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Make streets and other transportation facilities compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Address environmental impacts like stormwater runoff to greenhouse gas emissions and prioritize infrastructure that is less vulnerable and more resilient to a changing climate.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Accommodate new and emerging technologies like electric vehicle charging stations, renewable energy generation and broadband deployment in transportation rights-of-way.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Reconnect communities and include disadvantaged and under-represented groups in the planning, project selection and design process.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The rescinded memos nonetheless recognize that \u201cStates determine which of their projects shall be federally financed by Federal-aid highway formula dollars.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/dot-removes-equity-environmental-criteria\/742173\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. 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Dive &#8230; <a title=\"DOT removes equity, environmental factors from IIJA funding decisions\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/dot-removes-equity-environmental-factors-from-iija-funding-decisions\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about DOT removes equity, environmental factors from IIJA funding decisions\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29488\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}