U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority with withholding of federal funds if it doesn’t clean up its subways and buses.
In a letter to the MTA, Duffy said the agency should act promptly to clean up subways and buses to provide employees and commuters with a safer, crime-free commute. Failure to comply quickly, Duffy said could invoke additional enforcement actions from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), like having federal funding withheld or redirected.
“The trend of violent crime, homelessness, and other threats to public safety on one of our nation’s most prominent metro systems is unacceptable. After years of soft-on-crime policies, our department is stepping in to restore order,” Duffy said. “Commuters are sick and tired of feeling like they have to jeopardize their safety to get to work, go to school, or to travel around the city. We will continue to fight to ensure their federal tax dollars are going towards a crime-free commute.”
The letter is the latest in the USDOT’s and President Donald Trump’s focus on bolstering transportation security, the department said.
In his March 18 letter to MTA Chair Janno Lieber, Duffy asked for information on what steps the agency was taking to restore safety and regain the trust of the public, including steps to improve security for passengers and workers, reduce crime and crack down on fare evasion. The letter also asks for information on what steps the agency is taking to reduce injuries and fatalities from suicide events and “subway surfing.”
The letter follows up on a directive issued during the administration of President Joe Biden to address assaults on transit workers by conducting risk assessments and identifying strategies to address those risk.