Letter: Feds retracted $22m for roadway fixes that local leaders could have OK’d sooner

To the Editor:

In an aggressive move, the federal government has rescinded $22 million in transportation grants for Mattapan and Roxbury, two historically underserved neighborhoods with high traffic collision numbers due, in large part, to outdated streetscapes. This is part of an ongoing series of punitive actions of the current federal administration toward progressive cities with populations of color in large numbers.

The letter from the US Department of Transportation addressing the Mattapan project noted that the agency currently prioritizes “reducing roadway traffic congestion by preserving or increasing roadway capacity for motor vehicles.” The project’s intention to encourage other ways of getting around — walking, cycling, transit – is deemed ‘hostile to motor vehicles and lacks