WASHINGTON — Thirty-four Federal Railroad Administration projects and 154 under the Federal Transit Administration are among a batch of more than 500 Department of Transportation projects that had previously been approved that have now received their financial obligation, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced today (June 10, 2025).
The 529 projects, with funding of more than $2.9 million, are among more than 3,200 that the Trump administration says it inherited from the Biden Administration but has moved forward in part by eliminating Green New Deal, social justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements. Some of the funds were awarded three years ago.
The FRA projects include:
— Eight under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement, or CRISI, grant program, the largest being $21.34 million to the Michigan Department of Transportation for Great Lakes Central improvements.
— Three under the Federal-State Partnership program — two for the Northeast Corridor totaling more than $33 million, and a $49.6 million grant for the project to repurpose Chicago Union Station’s mail platform for passenger use.
— 22 Railroad Crossing Elimination projects in 13 states.
— A $2.35 million Safety Infrastructure Improvement Program grant for work at Washington Union Station.
The FTA grants include:
— Nine under the All Stations Accessibility program, addressing improvements at stations on the Chicago Transit Authority, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, NJ Transit, and Pittsburgh Regional Transit.
— Grants of $200 million to the CTA, $100 million to Metra, and $71.7 to Tri-Trail for railcar replacement.
— 67 for bus programs, 17 for ferries, 14 for mobility services, and 43 for tribal transit.
A full list of the grants involved, including those for other portions of the Department of Transportation, is available here.
There never was a “Green New Deal”.
The “Green New Deal” resolution was introduced in Congress in 2019 by Senator Edward Markley of MA and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of NY.
The “Green New Deal” was first mentioned in January, 2007 articles in the NY Times and NY Times Magazine by Thomas Freedman.
All well and good — as long as you bear in mind that these grants are in addition to all the other disclosed operating subsidies and capital funding.