The Federal Highway Administration removed bike lanes, speed safety cameras, and variable speed limits from its list of recommended road safety strategies, NPR reported on July 16, 2026. The list went from 28 strategies down to 23. Two additional unnamed strategies were also cut.

The agency posted the updated list at highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures. It has not publicly announced or explained the decision.

An FHWA spokesperson said the changes are part of a broader review to make sure the list aligns with current DOT policies and the administration's priorities, according to NPR.

Safety advocates first noticed the changes after a July 7, 2026, DOT announcement of more than $1.7 billion in grants. That round of funding included no money for bike lanes or pedestrian projects. By the weekend of July 11-12, the five strategies had been taken off the website.

The list was last expanded in 2021 under the Biden administration, growing to 28 strategies. Stephanie Pollack, then acting FHWA administrator, oversaw that expansion.

Earlier in July 2026, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy referred to bike lanes as "DEI bike lanes" in a post on X.

The removal of speed safety cameras removes a strategy the agency had previously promoted. According to the FHWA's own Safety Compass newsletter published June 27, 2023, speed safety cameras have been shown to reduce crashes by 20 to 54 percent.

The Proven Safety Countermeasures list works like a federal seal of approval. When a strategy makes the list, it tells state and local transportation agencies that the approach is backed by solid evidence. That endorsement can affect which projects get picked and funded through programs like the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

The decision to remove five strategies without a formal announcement or technical explanation is a break from how the agency handled its 2021 expansion. Back then, the FHWA added strategies along with published safety data and explanations. The agency has not said whether the removed strategies failed to meet a new standard or were cut for other reasons.

The spokesperson's statement about aligning with administration priorities comes as the DOT has shifted its grant-making. The July 7 grant announcement sent more than $1.7 billion to projects that excluded bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure entirely. That is a change from the previous administration, which funded those types of projects through its RAISE and Safe Streets and Roads for Justice programs.

Secretary Duffy's comment calling bike lanes "DEI bike lanes" is the clearest public sign of the thinking behind the changes. The FHWA itself has not used that language in its official communications.

The broader context here is a gap between what the agency says and what the public record shows. The FHWA says the changes align with administration priorities, but it has not released new safety data questioning whether bike lanes, speed cameras, or variable speed limits actually work. In fact, the agency's own 2023 research found that speed cameras cut crashes by up to 54 percent.

With the list now at 23 items, state and local agencies looking at the guidance will no longer find federal backing for dedicated bike lanes, automated speed enforcement, or variable speed limit systems. The remaining 23 strategies have not been publicly identified as changed.