U.S. DOT Tells Metropolitan Transit Authority That Funding May Be Withheld If Safety Reporting Project Is Not Completed
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
Courtesy of M.T.A.
NEW YORK –– U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy penned a letter this week to New York's M.T.A. requesting detailed information about crime on New York subways and said that federal funding for the agency would be withheld if it did not comply.
The New York Times reported this week that the recently received letter to M.T.A. asked the agency for a comprehensive report on crime on the city’s transit system and what they’re doing to fight it. A failure by M.T.A. to provide this information would result in withholding of federal funds allocated to the agency. Duffy closed his letter by saying “I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter to avoid further consequences, up to and including redirecting or withholding funding.” M.T.A. has requested $14 billion in federal funds for its upcoming five-year capital budget.
According to the Times, Duffy set a deadline of March 31 for the agency to provide the DOT with information and statistics on passenger fare evasion, passengers who suffered attacks, transit workers who were attacked during the past two years, the number of people pushed on the tracks, and how it is addressing these problems.
In his letter, Duffy also said “People traveling on the N.Y.C.T. system to reach their jobs, education, health care, and other critical services need to feel secure and travel in a safe environment free of crime.” The “New York City Transit” system refers to the division of M.T.A. that operates buses and subways.
The Times also reported that “it was unclear what the federal agency was aiming to accomplish. Crime in the subway has been trending down in New York City, and much of the data related to its prevention is publicly available.”
Some believe that this funding threat may be related to the debate between the administration and the state over the congestion-pricing toll program in Manhattan, which started in January, but Duffy’s letter did not mention this specifically. However, some have suggested that crime letter may be a mechanism for the federal government to gain leverage in the toll dispute.
In a statement regarding the letter, the chief of policy and external relations at M.T.A., John J. McCarthy said he would be glad to review the agency’s work on crime reduction. He cited several improvements in transit crime statistics, including an overall drop in crime on subways of 40% in 2025 when compared to the same timeframe in 2020.
Governor Kathy Hochul said she has been working hard on improving subway safety. Efforts by the state and the city include reassigning a few hundred N.Y.P.D. officers to subway patrol duty. In addition, about 250 state and M.T.A. police, along with 1,000 Guard members, currently patrol the system.
Some have suggested, though, that law enforcement will not completely solve the problem, as many perpetrators of crime and attacks on the subway are homeless and/or mentally ill and require special social services that are in short supply.
