The Trump administration’s plans to stymie and defund bike lane plans in the US, on the unusual basis that they are DEI tools, will hurt efforts to improve roadway safety, non-motorized transportation advocates say.

The transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, posted on X this month that he had redirected $1.73bn allocated for “Biden-era DEI pet projects” to “America’s actual backbone: ROADS, BRIDGES, AND SHIPPING PORTS”.

Duffy did not explain how the transportation department would determine which bike lanes support diversity, equity and inclusion. The administration also recently removed bike lanes and speed cameras from the Federal Highway Administration’s list of proven safety countermeasures.