U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that it could lose critical federal funding unless it provides a comprehensive plan to address crime and safety issues on the city’s subway and bus systems.
The letter directs the MTA to submit a detailed report by March 31 on what steps it is taking to improve security for passengers and workers, or risk enforcement actions from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), including the potential withholding or redirection of federal funds.
“The trend of violent crime, homelessness, and other threats to public safety on one of our nation’s most prominent metro systems is unacceptable,” Duffy said in a press release.
“After years of soft-on-crime policies, our Department is stepping in to restore order. Commuters are sick and tired of feeling like they have to jeopardize their safety to get to work, go to school, or travel around the city. We will continue to fight to ensure their federal tax dollars are going towards a crime-free commute.”
The directive requires the MTA to provide information on its plans to combat crime, protect transit workers, and deter fare evasion.
The agency must document trends in transit worker assaults and actions taken to prevent them, including de-escalation training, the deployment of video surveillance, and police patrols. It must also report the most recent data and mitigation efforts related to fare evasion.
Additionally, the letter demands that the MTA outline actions taken to address criminal activity, including assaults on passengers and incidents such as subway surfing and suicides. The agency must also provide a breakdown of funding sources used for security initiatives, including federal and non-federal contributions.
Last year, the FTA issued directives requiring major transit agencies to assess and mitigate transit worker assaults. The MTA was one of nine agencies ordered to submit documentation explaining how it was addressing safety risks to its workforce.
The Trump administration’s move aligns with its broader efforts to enhance security in major transit systems across the country. Duffy indicated that similar scrutiny could be extended to transit systems in Chicago and Washington if improvements are not made.
The MTA, which operates New York City’s subways, buses, and regional rail networks, relies on a combination of local, state, and federal funding. The agency’s five-year capital plan through 2029 includes an estimated $14 billion in federal grants and funds. The potential withholding of federal dollars could significantly impact planned upgrades and service improvements.
John McCarthy, the agency’s chief of policy and external relations, said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times that the agency was happy to meet with Duffy to discuss MTA and NYPD’s efforts to reduce crime and fare evasion.
“The good news is numbers are moving in the right direction: crime is down 40 percent compared to the same period in 2020 right before the pandemic, and so far in 2025 there are fewer daily major crimes in transit than any non-pandemic year ever,” he said.
“Moreover, in the second half of last year subway fare evasion was down 25 percent after increasing dramatically during Covid.”
Duffy also noted that high-profile crimes such as a woman being burned to death on a train in December and a man being pushed onto the tracks in January have led to anxiety among riders.
“Citizens of the city have openly expressed their support for expanded care for individuals struggling with mental illness to specifically address some of these safety concerns,” Duffy wrote.
Officials have ramped up some security measures in recent years, deploying additional police officers in the transit system and implementing strategies to curb fare evasion.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also stationed National Guard members at some of the city’s busiest subway stations last year in an effort to deter crime.
However, while overall major felonies have declined in recent years, the number of assaults in the transit system has increased, rising from 373 in 2019 to 579 in 2024, according to the New York City Police Department.
High-profile attacks on passengers, such as individuals being pushed onto the tracks or assaulted in train cars, have fueled public concerns.
The MTA is also facing a separate March 21 deadline to comply with a federal order to halt Manhattan’s congestion pricing system, a tolling initiative designed to reduce traffic and generate transit funding.
The administration’s letter to the MTA does not reference congestion pricing. The two issues reflect broader policy disputes over the city’s transportation management.
