Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been on a roll since taking office.
He’s been cleaning up the mess left by Pete Buttigieg while making America’s infrastructure great again.
And Sean Duffy just delivered one crushing blow to woke road projects that has liberal governors fuming.
Duffy targets distracting road projects across America
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a clear message to governors in all 50 states this week ahead of Independence Day.
He wants them to focus on safety, not political messaging, when it comes to American roadways.
Duffy announced the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies initiative, known as SAFE ROADS.
The program specifically targets non-freeway arterial roads where more than half of U.S. roadway deaths occur.
"Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork," Duffy wrote in his letter to governors. "Today I am calling on governors in every state to ensure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are kept free of distractions."
The Transportation Secretary made it crystal clear that too many Americans die each year from traffic fatalities to get distracted by woke virtue signaling on public roads.
"Far too many Americans die each year to traffic fatalities to take our eye off the ball," Duffy explained. "USDOT stands ready to help communities across the country make their roads safer and easier to navigate."
Liberal governors forced to choose between safety and wokeness
Duffy’s letter puts liberal governors in an impossible position.
They can either prioritize actual road safety or continue wasting taxpayer dollars on rainbow crosswalks and political banners.
The Transportation Secretary noted that the targeted areas "are where more than half of roadway fatalities in America occur and deserve enhanced attention."
His SAFE ROADS initiative will focus on non-freeway arterials within each state, including safety and operation at intersections and along segments.
The program emphasizes consistent and recognizable traffic control devices including crosswalk and intersection markings.
Most importantly, it requires an "orderly use of the right-of-way that is kept free from distractions."
Duffy has given state Departments of Transportation 60 days to submit all relevant information and data regarding intersections of concern for federal review.
That’s going to force liberal governors to justify why they’ve been spending federal highway dollars on woke art projects instead of life-saving safety improvements.
Duffy makes taxpayer priorities crystal clear
Transportation Secretary Duffy didn’t mince words when he explained his priorities on social media.
"Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks," Duffy stated.¹
He followed that up with an even more direct message about political messaging on public roads.
"Political banners have no place on public roads," Duffy wrote on X. "I’m reminding recipients of @USDOT roadway funding that it’s limited to features advancing safety, and nothing else. It’s that simple."²
This represents a complete 180-degree turn from the Pete Buttigieg era at the Department of Transportation.
Under Buttigieg’s disastrous leadership, the DOT pushed woke initiatives while America’s infrastructure crumbled around us.
Duffy has been systematically reversing those failed policies since taking office in January.
Duffy continues impressive transportation record
Sean Duffy has been everything Pete Buttigieg wasn’t as Transportation Secretary.
Since being confirmed, Duffy has tackled DEI initiatives in the transportation industry head-on.
He’s implemented "record time fixes" on issues at airports like Newark Liberty International while prioritizing the hiring of qualified air traffic controllers and safety personnel.
Duffy has also worked to debunk false media narratives about infrastructure problems he inherited from the previous administration.
The Transportation Secretary has made it clear that issues like the devastation in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene didn’t begin on his watch.
But he’s committed to fixing the problems left over from four years of Biden-Harris incompetence.
Duffy recently helped expedite the reopening of the hurricane-battered I-40, reducing construction costs and timeline by as much as two-thirds of the original Biden-era estimate.³
That’s the kind of results-oriented leadership Americans voted for in November.
While facing predictable media hit pieces, Duffy hasn’t let the attacks distract him from his mission.
He’s focused on making America’s roads safer and more efficient rather than placating left-wing activists.
The SAFE ROADS initiative represents exactly what voters expected when they put Donald Trump back in the White House.
It’s time to prioritize American lives over liberal virtue signaling on our nation’s roadways.
¹ Joe.My.God – "Duffy Calls On Governors To Ban Rainbow Crosswalks" – July 2, 2025
² Joe.My.God – "Duffy Calls On Governors To Ban Rainbow Crosswalks" – July 2, 2025
³ U.S. Department of Transportation – "U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Surveys Hurricane Helene Recovery Along I-40 and Announces Expedited Federal Support"