The City of Boston sued the U.S. Department of Transportation on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, over the department’s cancellation of a $20 million federal grant for street improvements in Roxbury, according to Reuters. The Boston Roxbury grant lawsuit, City of Boston v. Duffy et al., was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (No. 1:26-cv-14419).
What the Boston Roxbury Grant Lawsuit Alleges
The city says the department illegally withdrew the funding, which was awarded in 2022 through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, according to the Boston Globe. The grant was for the Roxbury Resilient Corridors project on Melnea Cass Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard and Warren Street. Reuters reported the grant was for a nearly $34 million project to redesign three heavily traveled streets, including roadway repairs, wider sidewalks and measures to speed bus service.
The city argues the department gave one reason for the withdrawal in September 2025: the project included electric vehicle charging. According to Boston 25 News, the department’s letter said the grant was “inconsistent” with its priorities because of the project’s “inclusion of EV charging infrastructure.” The city says the charging equipment accounted for less than 1% of project costs, and Reuters and the Globe report the lawsuit says the city offered in October 2025 to remove it without the funds being restored.
Reuters reported the city argues the department lacked legal authority to cancel the grant on that basis and that doing so violated the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional separation-of-powers principles.
Federal Response and Official Statements
The Department of Transportation said in a statement Monday that it is reviewing the lawsuit and “remains committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and in ways that benefit all Americans,” according to Reuters and the Globe.
Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement: “The City of Boston will continue to fight back against lawless federal attacks, and we urge the court to reverse the Trump administration’s illegal actions and restore these critical funds for Roxbury.” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat whose district includes Roxbury, said in a statement: “These funds are an essential investment in Roxbury and the unlawful cancellation of this grant is more evidence of Sean Duffy and Donald Trump’s contempt for the people we serve,” according to the Guardian and the Globe.
Project Status and Related Cases
The Globe reported the lawsuit says the city “was forced to suspend” the project without the federal money. The city argues three streets slated for improvements rank in the top 3% of Boston streets for concentration of traffic injuries and fatalities, according to the Guardian.
Reuters described the case as the second lawsuit by a city challenging the department’s cancellation of RAISE grants; Albuquerque, New Mexico, sued last year over an $11.5 million grant, and that case remains pending after surviving a motion to dismiss. The Guardian reported Boston says it will have filed nine lawsuits against the administration with this one, eight of them with the Public Rights Project, which is providing pro bono counsel.
What Happens Next
No hearing dates were reported in the coverage we reviewed. For other Boston stories involving federal and municipal relations, see our earlier explainer on federal immigration operations and the municipal response in Boston and our report on the city’s response to the Allston post office closure plan.
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