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9h ago

Duffy Orders MBTA and CTA to Submit Safety Plans Within Two Weeks or Risk Federal Funding

USDOT set a two-week deadline for MBTA and CTA to file security plans with full funding details under threat of redirected grants.

Oct. 21, 2024: Foliage frames Boston’s oldest MBTA trolley line near Milton. The Mattapan/Ashmont line started in 1929.
Commuters ride the Red Line. In-train stop announcements on Red Line cars tend to underperform compared to trains on other lines, according to MBTA data.
Governor Healey and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng gather to celebrate the progress made by the MBTA to eliminate slow zones on the Orange Line at Haymarket MBTA Station. (Libby O'Neill/Boston Herald)

Overview

  • Letters to MBTA General Manager Philip Eng and CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen require reports by Oct. 2 detailing actions to deter crime, curb fare evasion, and maintain clean facilities.
  • The directives seek a summary of all safety and security funding sources, with particular focus on Boston’s South Station and the use of eligible federal grants.
  • Duffy cited recent MBTA bus assaults in Roxbury and Cambridge and referenced the killing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte to justify urgent interventions.
  • Eng said the MBTA will provide the requested information and emphasized cooperation with federal partners, while some experts note federal leverage mainly affects capital projects rather than daily policing.
  • The warnings extend a broader federal campaign that has pressed New York’s MTA, Washington’s WMATA, and LA Metro, with consequences that could include redirected or withheld support.