For decades, the federal government has provided significant grants to fund ambitious public transit construction projects. These grants have supported new railroad tracks, stations, and bus infrastructure, including extensions of the Second Avenue Subway in New York and the Red Line in Chicago, the Gateway Tunnel, and projects in Indianapolis and San Antonio.

However, since President Trump took office, the Federal Transit Administration has not awarded any new agreements under the Capital Investment Grants program. Large projects nearing the final stages of the pipeline have been stalled. The administration also attempted to halt payments to New York and Chicago projects, leading to court interventions.

As a result, over $7 billion designated by Congress for transit infrastructure remains unspent, causing anxiety about the federal government's commitment to major transit projects. One official stated, “It’s hard to look at the last year and see anything other than a deliberate slowdown of these grants.”