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Trump Administration Threatens MTA Funding Over Subway Safety Data

The MTA faces a March 31 deadline to provide detailed crime and safety data as federal officials question the use of funds and demand accountability.

Photo: Richard Drew (AP)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
FILE - A subway approaches an above ground station in the Brooklyn borough of New York with the New York City skyline in the background, June 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

Overview

  • The US Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Sean Duffy, has demanded the MTA submit comprehensive data on subway crime and safety measures by March 31, 2025.
  • Failure to comply could result in the withholding or redirection of federal funding, with the MTA relying on $14 billion for its next five-year capital plan.
  • While overall transit crime has dropped 27% in 2025 compared to 2024, felony assaults remain 56% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019, fueling safety concerns.
  • Federal demands follow high-profile violent incidents, including a December 2024 arson attack, and ongoing political tensions between President Trump and Governor Kathy Hochul over congestion pricing and infrastructure projects.
  • Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams have implemented measures like deploying National Guard troops and NYPD officers to address subway safety and improve public confidence.