“In the original announcement, UC Davis Professor Susan Handy pointed out the short-sightedness of Duffy’s cuts: “Finding a way to decarbonize transportation that does not exacerbate existing inequities is one of the most significant societal challenges we face,” she said, adding that the grant would help the center “focus on equity and justice and launch new initiatives on rural mobility, vehicle electrification, and sustainable freight.”

“If you use the road system more, you should pay more,” said Gil Tal, a professor at the University of California, Davis.

President Donald Trump’s secretary of transportation on Friday said he’d terminated $12 million in grant funding for UC Davis’ National Center for Sustainable Transportation aimed at “accelerating equitable decarbonization” research.