Donald Trump has cancelled grants for active travel projects such as pedestrian trails and bike lanes across the United States, the President claiming cycling and walking infrastructure is “hostile to motor vehicles”.

The US Department of Transportation has rescinded backing for numerous cycle lane projects and pedestrian paths in various locations around the country, Bloomberg reporting the department’s explanation for the cancellations.

In San Diego County a $1.2m grant for a road improvement project including bike lanes has been cancelled, the department claiming that such cycling infrastructure “appears to reduce lane capacity and a road diet that is hostile to motor vehicles”.

The word “hostile” was also used regarding a scheme in Alabama which was to convert street lanes into trail space. The department said the proposals were “counter to its priority of preserving or increasing roadway capacity for motor vehicles”.

In Boston, the DoT said a grant to improve safety at a city junction would “impede vehicle capacity and speed”, while a separate project to boost walking and cycling was called out for changing the “current auto-centric configuration”.

Bloomberg reporter Ted Mann said the wave of recent cancellations showed “just how determined the administration is to promote the use of single-occupancy vehicles in cities and towns – and to thwart local governments’ attempts to develop other ways for residents to get around.”

A spokesperson for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said they are “reviewing our options” following the cancellation of their grants. They explained how the grants were not just for cycling infrastructure, but would also have funded the replacement of pavements, improved lighting, bus stop upgrades, and the planting of trees on neighbourhood streets.

Trump’s opposition to cycling projects is nothing new, the President having set his sights on New York City’s bike lanes earlier this year.

Post-election Trump claimed “no one’s coming to the city” because of “horrible” congestion pricing that is “destructive to New York”, as well as cycling infrastructure which Trump called “so bad”.

“They should get rid of the bike lanes and the sidewalks in the middle of the street,” he said. “They’re so bad. They’re dangerous. These [electric] bikes go at 20 miles an hour. They’re whacking people.”

“I think it’s really horrible, but I want to discuss it [scrapping the congestion charge] at this point,” he continued. “If I decide to do it, I will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation. It’s a lot of power. Traffic is way down because people can’t come into Manhattan and it’s only going to get worse. People don’t know about it until they get the bill.”