The City of Boston has asked a federal court to restore a $20 million federal grant for street reconstruction in Roxbury. The U.S. Department of Transportation cancelled the grant in September 2025, and the city says the only reason USDOT gave was that the project included electric-vehicle charging. The suit, City of Boston v. Duffy (Docket No. 1:26-cv-14419), was filed on Sept. 28, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. It asks the court to reverse the cancellation and restore the funds.
The money came from USDOT's RAISE discretionary grant program, which awarded Boston the grant in 2022 for its Roxbury Resilient Corridors project. According to the city's announcement, the project covers state-of-good-repair, safety, transit, accessibility and traffic-flow work on Melnea Cass Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard and Warren Street. The city says EV charging makes up less than 1% of project costs, and that USDOT had encouraged it to include the charging in the first place.
What the project was supposed to build
The Boston Globe reported that the grant would have paid for safer sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and bike lanes, road maintenance, stormwater management to reduce flooding, and improved bus service. Electrive put the total project cost at nearly $34 million, covering road repairs, pavement widening, bus service improvements and EV charging. The Globe reported that without the federal money, the city "was forced to suspend" the project.
How the dispute unfolded
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2022 | USDOT awards Boston a $20 million RAISE grant for Roxbury Resilient Corridors. |
| September 2025 | USDOT cancels the award. Its letter says the project "no longer aligns with DOT priorities" and gives the city no chance to respond or appeal, the Globe reported. |
| October 2025 | Boston offers to remove the EV chargers from the project. According to the lawsuit, the federal government still does not release the money. |
| Sept. 28, 2026 | Boston files suit in federal court in Massachusetts. |
The city's legal claims
The city's announcement says USDOT acted against Congress's instructions for the RAISE program and that the cancellation was arbitrary and unlawful. Electrive reported that the complaint also argues USDOT lacked authority to rescind the grant on that basis, and alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and of constitutional separation-of-powers principles. The RAISE program was created under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The City Law Department is bringing the case with pro bono counsel from Public Rights Project. Toby Merrill, the group's litigation director, said in the city's announcement that the decision "is arbitrary and unlawful."
Mayor Michelle Wu said in the announcement that "Boston earned this competitive grant to meet community needs," and said in a statement the day of the filing that the city "will continue to fight back against lawless federal attacks." The announcement also included statements from U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and the Rev. Willie Bodrick II, senior pastor of Twelfth Baptist Church on Warren Street.
USDOT's response
USDOT's September 2025 letter, as quoted in the city's lawsuit, said the department's priorities "presently include promoting traditional forms of energy and natural resources" and "ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently," Boston 25 News reported. The letter called the project "inconsistent" with those priorities because of its "inclusion of EV charging infrastructure."
A USDOT spokesperson told the Globe that the department is reviewing the lawsuit and "remains committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely." The Globe also reported that USDOT sent similar letters to other cities, including Albuquerque.
Albuquerque's case and the NEVI backdrop
Albuquerque has filed its own suit after USDOT withdrew an $11.5 million RAISE grant for an urban trail project. That city argued the cancellation reflected the administration's preference for infrastructure that supports vehicle travel. Electrive reported on Sept. 29 that the case remained pending.
Both suits follow an earlier dispute over federal charging money. In August 2025, the administration released $5 billion in frozen funding under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, with states required to follow revised requirements, Electrive noted. In January 2026, a U.S. court permanently barred USDOT from withholding NEVI funds or revoking previously approved state implementation plans. That ruling covered NEVI. Boston's case concerns a RAISE discretionary grant, a separate program.
What It Means for Drivers
No chargers have been built under this project. The Roxbury chargers were planned, not open, and the street work is suspended while the grant is in dispute. Whether charging is ever installed on these corridors depends on how the court rules and on the project's final scope, since the city has already offered to drop the chargers to get the funding back.
Drivers looking for public charging in Roxbury now can check the AFDC station locator for stations that are already open in the area.
Sources
- City of Boston: City of Boston Announces Lawsuit Against Trump Administration to Protect $20 Million Federal Grant (boston.gov)
- Boston Globe: Boston sues Trump administration over withheld grant (Sept. 28, 2026)
- electrive: Boston sues Trump administration over $20m EV charger grant cancellation (Sept. 29, 2026)
- Boston 25 News: Boston sues Trump administration over cancellation of federal funding for Roxbury improvements (Sept. 28, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center: Station Locator
