News summary produced by Claude AI
The Federal Highway Administration has removed five safety strategies from its roster of Proven Safety Countermeasures, according to changes made to the agency’s website. The deletions include bike lanes, speed safety cameras, variable speed limits, and two additional recommendations, reducing the total list from 28 items to 23. The FHWA has not publicly announced the decision or provided detailed explanation for the removals.
The agency stated that the modifications align with Department of Transportation policies and current administration priorities, framing the changes as part of efforts to reverse prior policies that it says reduced lane capacity and increased congestion. A departmental spokesperson indicated the focus is on reinvesting road funding into traditional infrastructure rather than alternative transportation initiatives. The removals became apparent to safety advocates late last week, following a DOT announcement of discretionary grants totaling more than $1.7 billion that excluded funding for bike lane and pedestrian projects.
Former FHWA officials and transportation experts have raised concerns about the decision, noting that the removed strategies were based on rigorous research demonstrating their effectiveness. According to data previously published by the FHWA, bike lanes can reduce crashes on two-lane roads by up to 30 percent and on four-lane roads by up to 49 percent. Speed cameras have been shown to reduce crashes on urban arterial roads by approximately 50 percent. Critics argue the Proven Safety Countermeasures list influences state and local transportation planning decisions and provides justification for safety-focused projects.
The decision comes as part of broader efforts by the current administration regarding bicycle infrastructure. Previous attempts to remove bike lanes around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. have been documented, and the administration has previously redirected funding from projects it characterized as unfavorable to automobile traffic. Transportation officials emphasized that the decision reflects a return to prioritizing traditional road infrastructure over alternative transportation modes.
Road safety advocates have expressed concern about the implications of removing these strategies from the federal list, noting that more than 36,000 people died on U.S. roads in the previous year. They argue the Proven Safety Countermeasures list represents critical tools for state and local transportation officials making infrastructure decisions.