The city of Boston filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s transportation department challenging the withdrawal of a $20 million infrastructure grant awarded during the Biden presidency. The grant had been allocated for the Roxbury Resilient Corridors project under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (Raise) programme established by Congress.
Boston officials contend the department cited a single justification for the grant cancellation in September last year: the inclusion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The city argues this component represented less than 1 percent of the overall project’s costs. According to the lawsuit, the Roxbury Resilient Corridors project was designed to enhance safety, public transportation access, street accessibility and traffic flow in three streets classified among the top 3 percent of Boston streets for traffic injuries and fatalities. The targeted area is designated by the transportation department as experiencing persistent poverty and representing a historically disadvantaged community.
Boston’s legal challenge asserts the withdrawal decision contradicted the congressional purpose of the Raise programme, which was established to support infrastructure projects promoting sustainability, safety and technological innovation in underserved communities. The suit argues that federal agencies lack authority to alter programme terms to align with changing political priorities. The case, filed in US district court for the district of Massachusetts, names Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as defendant.
Mayor Michelle Wu and Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley, whose district includes Roxbury, issued statements opposing the grant withdrawal. Pressley characterized the cancellation as evidence of contempt for constituents and called for the transportation department to reverse course. The Public Rights Project is providing pro bono legal counsel to Boston in this action.
The lawsuit represents one of nine cases Boston has filed against the administration, with eight pursued in partnership with the Public Rights Project. Multiple cities and states, including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and others across the country, have similarly initiated legal challenges against the administration over federal funding decisions and other policies.
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