By Charles Pekow — As part of its crusade to kill environmental protection, the Trump administration is weakening the law requiring environmental reviews for construction projects. The National Environmental Policy Act requires reviews for environmental damage (such as protecting wetlands and endangered species) before major transportation and other projects can be built. The Trump regulations may make it easier and faster to build bike lanes, though they could wreak havoc on the natural world.
For one, the National Park Service announced a list of “categorical exclusions”—projects that won’t require reviews. It won’t be necessary to do reviews to add bike lanes or trails on park property, except in wilderness, backcountry areas, floodplains, or places “designated or proposed for inclusion in the National System of Wild and Scenic Rivers.”
The exemption also applies to adding facilities such as bike racks, signage, parking, and restrooms.
Details at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-11/html/2025-10629.htm
Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) issued an interim final rule effective July 3 removing final reviews for projects it funds, including building bicycle facilities and emergency repairs on them, with exceptions for floodplains and wild and scenic river areas.
The rule applies to projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and Federal Transit Administration.
DoT is taking public comments on the rule until Aug. 4.
See: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-03/html/2025-12364.htm
And the Interior Department also determined categorical exclusions can apply to special events on Bureau of Land Management soil, such as high school mountain bike races.
See: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-27/html/2025-11935.htm
Finally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an interim final rule removing required reviews for permits, including special use recreational events such as mountain biking on U.S. Forest Service land. The exemption applies only to trails where mountain biking is normally allowed.
A public comment period ends July 30.
See: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-03/html/2025-12326.htm
