Things are Moving so Fast

The Bike Fed was informed on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee would be voting on Wednesday, April 30th to rescind all unobligated funding from grants made under the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program. Grants from the program were to provide funding to Milwaukee for the National Avenue Interchange and for the Complete 6th Street projects. These two community improvements represent nearly $40 million for the City of Milwaukee.

In response to this announcement, The Wisconsin Bike Fed composed two letters urging our representatives to vote against this measure. The first letter was sent to Representative Tony Wied – R (WI-08) who serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with the Republican majority. The second letter was sent to Representative Gwen Moore – D (WI-4) as both projects lie within the boundaries of her congressional district.

When the committee voted Wednesday afternoon, they passed their bill on budget reconciliation along party lines 36-30. This means that funding will be cut from several Inflation Reduction programs, including unobligated funds from the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program. In Wisconsin, this specifically cuts funding from the projects mentioned above. The next step is for this to go to the Senate, and that means our next step is to write, email, and call our Senators asking them NOT to include these cuts in their version of the bill. As supporters of the Wisconsin Bike Fed, please consider emailing Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin on this topic.

We offer this suggested language that you can copy/paste as a starting template or as inspiration for a customized message:

As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to vote “no” on any legislation that seeks to rescind federal grants supporting transportation projects in Wisconsin. Of particular concern are two Neighborhood Access and Equity Projects in Milwaukee – Connecting North to South: A Complete 6th Street and Reimagining the National Avenue Interchange. These projects represent nearly 40 million dollars in critical funding to make major improvements to our state’s largest city.Investing in transportation infrastructure is a matter of economic opportunity, public safety, and long-term prosperity. These projects serve our neighborhoods by providing essential access to jobs, healthcare, education, and community services. 

Rescinding this funding now would harm working families, seniors, and individuals without access to reliable vehicles.Transportation projects like this improve mobility for everyone. Better sidewalks, options for a variety of transportation modalities, and public transit help reduce congestion, improve quality of life, and support local economies.Please vote no on any effort to rescind these important grants.

Thank you for your time and service.

All of us at the Bike Fed appreciate your time and effort to protect these and all bike/ped safety infrastructure projects.