Ryan Russo, executive director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), issued the following statement in response to an internal, unpublished directive from the U.S. DOT secretary’s office.

New, unpublished guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation goes against the will of Congress and millions of city residents by subjecting hundreds of already-approved local projects to new rounds of review, bureaucracy, and red tape—and potentially canceling projects already underway. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in 2021 by a bipartisan majority of legislators in Congress, explicitly created programs meant to address local priorities. The act funds projects focused on safety and storm protection as traffic deaths and damage from natural disasters mount nationwide—while creating thousands of new jobs in the process. Over the last four years, hundreds of millions of dollars in grants have been awarded to cities big and small to help them achieve goals on behalf of their residents. 

Projects already awarded funding through these programs—typically among the most cost-effective and with the most direct benefit to Americans—are now in danger of having further funding rescinded.

This additional red tape makes it difficult for local governments to plan effectively and efficiently use taxpayer dollars, and it runs counter to efficiency and local control.

Congress has an opportunity to clarify the administration’s actions this Wednesday. NACTO calls on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to question Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on why hundreds of millions of dollars in already-approved projects are being reviewed when they align with Congressional intent. Americans deserve to know if Congress’s promise will be kept and if local projects that will make streets work better for millions of people will be allowed to continue.

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About the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
NACTO is an association of 100 North American cities and transit agencies that exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. The organization champions bold, people-first urban transportation by mobilizing a network of cities and transit agencies. See more at nacto.org.

Press Contacts
Alex Engel | alex ( a t ) nacto.org
Elise Harmon-Freeman | elise ( a t ) nacto.org

For Immediate Release
April 1, 2025