Op-Ed | President Trump’s transportation policy idiocy

The list of President Donald Trump’s most idiotic acts is a long one. Some of them are mockable, like decimating the Kennedy Center, an important cultural venue, because patrons detested his stink. Some are bizarre, like his refusal to fund the New York-New Jersey tunnel project because they wouldn’t name it the “Trump Gateway.”

But some Trump idiocies are calamitous. Consider his defunding international health programs that experts estimate will cause millions of child deaths. Or nationalize elections so Republicans can always win. Or incite his paramilitary ICE goons to greater violence and less accountability.

Indeed, reviewing Trump’s destruction of environmental protections, recall how his administration signaled its fixation on cars and driving. Trump tried to stop congestion pricing in New York, encouraged Americans to take road trips, and announced plans to host a bizarre NASCAR race around the Capital on America’s 250th anniversary.

“Freedom doesn’t ring, it revs!” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy trumpeted in an official statement.

Consistent with Trump’s obsession over cars, consider recent reports describing Trump’s plan to bar cities from using road safety federal grants for automated cameras that enforce speed limits. The administration announced other plans to gut traffic safety laws to shift automobile traffic away from safety measures that might slow or otherwise inconvenience car travel. City officials were notified that “for consistency with Administration priorities,” traffic cameras outside of school or work zones will not be approved under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

The program was created by the 2021 infrastructure law and funds projects aimed at eliminating traffic deaths. The Trump administration previously stated that grants that include “reducing lane capacity for vehicles” with bike lanes or pedestrian infrastructure are “hostile” to cars and run “counter to DOT’s priority of increasing capacity for motor vehicles.”

Given the large number of traffic fatalities, why dismantle programs designed to increase traffic safety and reduce traffic deaths? It’s idiotic.

Proponents of speed cameras argue that indulging motorists in these ways makes no sense. It contradicts proven, lifesaving tools and that limiting speed and red-light enforcement leaves many of the most dangerous city streets vulnerable. Research indicates that speed, red-light and stop sign cameras are effective at reducing crashes and fatalities and popular with the public. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a 2023 report called cameras a “proven safety countermeasure” and noted that “support appears highest in jurisdictions that have implemented red-light or speed cameras.”

A recent report by New York City’s Department of Transportation speed camera program showed a 94% reduction in speeding at speed camera locations, a dramatic reduction in reckless speeding since the program began. Camera locations have also seen reductions in traffic injuries and deaths, with speed camera locations installed in 2022 seeing 14% fewer injuries and fatalities compared to locations without cameras. The report highlights speed cameras’ critical role in enhancing street safety amidst alarming increases in reckless driving nationwide.

The high point of Trump’s auto policy idiocy is his crackpot scheme to transform the streets of Washington, D.C. this summer into an Indianapolis Speedway as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th birthday. Trump signed an executive order establishing the race, to be held on August 21-23, alongside Roger Penske, Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials, and members of Indycar teams in the Nascar racing series.

“It’s going to be so exciting,” Trump swooned. “I love the racing.” He seemed to drool over the prospect of vehicles roaring past the White House at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour.

To Penske, there is “no better way for us to bring automotive and speed into the D.C. area, and to be able to have the opportunity to compete here with our Indycars”.

Yes, Daytona in DC looks like a real treat for NASCAR enthusiasts. But for people who care about environmental health and automotive safety in a traffic-congested community, it’s just idiotic.

Bennett L. Gershman is a distinguished professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.