In November, 2025, Rep. Sam Graves, (R–Mo.), told Punchbowl News that he did not consider infrastructure for biking and walking to be an important federal priority, and that he would not include money for it in the bill intended to replace the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act when the latter expires in September 2026 — at least if he were the legislation’s sole author.
Graves is the chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is responsible for writing most of the lower chamber’s version of the surface transportation reauthorization, colloquially known the “highway bill.” For the last 35 years, though, that legislation has also included funding for multimodal infrastructure, such as bike lanes and walking paths; Graves apparently intends to end that practice.
“It’s going to be a traditional highway bill,” Graves said. “That means building roads and bridges, laying asphalt, pouring concrete. We’re not going to be spending money on murals and train stations or bike paths or walking paths. We’re going to spend money on traditional infrastructure — that’s roads and bridges.”
The League of American Bicyclists launched a letter-writing campaign in response to Graves’ comments, slamming the representative for threatening the future of programs like the popular and competitive Reconnecting Communities Grant, which received requests for five times more money than Congress had made available. And advocates are also worried for the future of the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program, which received a 60-percent boost to build active transportation infrastructure.
“All of our gains for bicycling and walking are at risk,” the League wrote. “If Rep. Graves has his way and the next transportation bill is a ‘traditional highway bill,’ that could mean zero federal funding for bicycling and walking through 2031.”
HBL has been in touch with our HI congressional delegation about this national threat and are planning to meet with them in Washington, DC as part of the National Bike Summit in March, 2026.
If you have any questions, need additional information, or would like to join us for meetings on Capitol Hill, please email Advocacy Director Eduardo Hernandez