Trump admin threatens funding for NYC MTA over subway safety

The Trump administration has warned the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that it could lose federal funding if it does not respond to demands regarding efforts to combat crime on New York City public transit.

In a letter to MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called on the agency to provide details on crime within the transit system, including expenditures on programs aimed at addressing safety concerns. Duffy stated that failure to comply could result in the loss of federal funding. The MTA, which receives billions of dollars from the federal government, is seeking $14 billion for its next five-year budget.

"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 in a statement. "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." 

Duffy further emphasized the need for immediate action, stating, “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.”

He added, “I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter to avoid further consequences, up to and including redirecting or withholding funding.”

According to The New York Times, MTA Chief of Policy and External Relations John J. McCarthy said the agency was “happy to discuss” its efforts to reduce crime, claiming that subway crime is down 40 percent this year compared to the same period in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The administration’s warning follows several high-profile violent incidents on New York City subways, including a December attack in which a 57-year-old woman was set on fire while sleeping on a train by an illegal immigrant.

The Trump administration has also pressed for similar action in Washington, DC, sending a message on March 6 to the head of the city’s transit authority calling for a similar crackdown on crime in the system.