Bike Lanes: Our streets belong to pedestrians, the disabled, and drivers not hobbyist bicyclists.
Since 2016, Massachusetts has received an estimated $150 to $200 million in federal-linked funding for bicycle lane projects, while roads crumble and potholes multiply. Boston alone has diverted $8 million in ARPA funds toward new bike lanes under Mayor Michelle Wu's plan. The Blue Hill Avenue project alone costs $152.65 million in total federal and local investment, with federal taxpayers absorbing over $95 million for center-running bus and bike infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Southern Artery in Quincy received $10.4 million in federal RAISE funding for a multimodal project that prioritizes bikes over fixing a dangerous corridor used by seniors accessing medical care.
These projects have been imposed with insufficient public input; consultants and government agencies decide, not the people who live and work on these streets. They've diverted federal transportation dollars away from road maintenance, pothole repair, and aging infrastructure that affects all residents. They've created no obligation to measure results: no annual audits, no accountability if projects fail, no mechanism to redirect funds if they don't work.
As Your Congressman, I will:
Conduct an Immediate ADA Compliance Audit of Every Bike Lane in the District
I will request that every bike lane in District 8 funded with federal dollars be immediately audited for full ADA compliance. This audit will examine: curb ramp accessibility and placement, sidewalk access for wheelchairs and mobility devices, intersection design for disabled pedestrians, and emergency vehicle access. Any bike lane built with federal funds that fails ADA standards will be flagged for immediate remediation or removal. Taxpayers should not fund infrastructure that discriminates against seniors and people with disabilities.
End All Federal Funding for Bike Lanes and Bus Lanes
I will introduce legislation eliminating all federal transportation dollars for bicycle-lane and bus-lane projects, no exceptions, no conditions, no waivers. USDOT will no longer fund these projects through RAISE grants, Transportation Alternatives, discretionary grants, or any other federal program. States and municipalities that want bike or bus lanes can fund them with their own money. Bus lanes divert space from emergency vehicles, reduce traffic capacity, and consume federal dollars that should go to road repair. Federal transportation dollars belong on infrastructure that serves all Americans, not ideological projects that prioritize transit modes serving a tiny fraction of commuters while causing congestion for working families.
Commission an Independent Study on Emergency Response Delays from Bike and Bus Lane Designs
I will demand that the Department of Transportation commission an independent federal study quantifying emergency response time impacts from street designs that reduce vehicle lanes or restrict emergency vehicle access. If bike and bus lanes cause measurable delays to fire trucks, ambulances, and first responders, municipalities will be held accountable. States and cities that install bike or bus lanes will be required to submit annual emergency response data, demonstrating no degradation of response times. Any jurisdiction that cannot prove their street redesigns maintain or improve emergency vehicle access will lose federal transportation funding until corrected.
Work with DOT to Withhold Funding from Cities Where Bike and Bus Lanes Violate ADA Compliance
I will work directly with the Department of Transportation to condition all federal highway, transit, and discretionary funding on municipalities' certification that bike lanes and bus lanes maintain full ADA accessibility and do not block emergency vehicle access. Any city or town that builds bike or bus lane infrastructure with federal funds and fails to maintain ADA standards or emergency access will immediately lose federal transportation allocations until corrected. The federal government will not fund projects that discriminate against disabled Americans or endanger public safety.