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Trump Administration Threatens MTA with Federal Funding Cuts Over Subway Safety Concerns

The MTA has until March 31 to submit detailed crime and safety plans or risk losing billions in federal transit funding.

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

  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's letter demands the MTA provide data on subway crime, fare evasion, and safety measures, citing high-profile violent incidents as a cause for concern.
  • The Trump administration has tied the ultimatum to broader public safety issues, including homelessness and mental health challenges in New York City.
  • The MTA argues that much of the requested data is already publicly available and highlights a 40% drop in subway crime compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2020.
  • The funding threat intensifies existing tensions between the federal government and New York over the city's congestion pricing program, which is subject to ongoing litigation.
  • Losing federal funding could severely impact the MTA's operations, as it relies on $14 billion from federal grants for its next five-year capital plan.