Suggested Citation:
Barajas, Jesus M., Sarah Grajdura, Alex Karner, Matthew Palm, Dana Rowangould (2025)

Shifting Priorities from Equity to Exclusion: Investigating US Transportation Policy Changes in the Anti-DEI Era

In early 2025, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) presented new criteria for discretionary funding prioritization based on marriage rates, birth rates, and compliance with Federal immigration policy. This policy diverges from the previous equity and justice-focused prioritization. We analyze how the new DOT policy will affect discretionary transportation spending priorities across geography, sociodemographics, transportation burdens and barriers, and voting lines. The new 2025 DOT policy shifts funding priorities towards white, Trump-voting areas and away from Black, Latino, and lower-resourced populations and those experiencing higher travel burdens and barriers.