Local News
The U.S. Department of Transportation cited misalignment with energy priorities as a reason for the cancellation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has rescinded a $20 million grant to improve three streetscapes in Roxbury and a $2 million grant for a Mattapan Square project.
“The City won these competitive federal grants to replace sidewalks, improve lighting, upgrade bus stops, and plant trees on neighborhood streets,” a Boston spokesperson said in a statement.
It continued, “The federal government’s decision to cancel these grants once again ignores the clear intent of Congress and we are reviewing our options.”
In a letter to the city on Sept. 9, U.S. DOT said it was immediately withdrawing the funding for the RAISE grant awarded for the Roxbury Resilient Transportation Corridors project because the project misaligns with the federal government’s priorities of promoting “traditional forms of energy and natural resources,” due to its use of EV charging stations.
U.S. DOT awarded the RAISE grant in fiscal year 2022, covering $20 million of the project’s estimated $34 million total cost.
According to the RAISE grants fact sheet, the project would reconstruct and upgrade three corridors in Roxbury, including a 0.88-mile section of Melnea Cass Boulevard, a 0.46-mile section of Malcolm X Boulevard, and a 1.28-mile section of Warren Street.
The project would construct dedicated bus corridors, new sidewalks, bus shelters, separate bicycle facilities, intersection improvements, green infrastructure, and stormwater improvements.
U.S. DOT also withdrew funding for the Mattapan Square project under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, saying in a separate letter that the project’s plan to remove lanes for single-occupant vehicles conflicted with its support for auto-centric infrastructure.
The letter said it “is hostile to motor vehicles and lacks national significance,” thus making it inconsistent with DOT’s priorities.
The $2 million grant, awarded in 2024, covered only a small portion of the estimated $16 million project.
According to the award fact sheet, the project would reconnect two long-separated sides of Mattapan and improve access to natural resources and multimodal transportation networks.
It remains unclear whether another $20 million RAISE grant program for the Lynnway Multimodal Corridor will be affected. A MassDOT spokesperson said the agency has not received any notifications about rescinding the Lynnway grant.
U.S. DOT did not respond to a request for additional information.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration canceled the $327 million grant the state won in 2023 to reconstruct a portion of the Mass. Turnpike.
The project would create a new commuter rail station, providing more development space and outdoor recreation along the Charles River.
Despite the cut, state officials remain hopeful that the close to $2 billion project can progress.
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