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5h ago

USDOT Puts MBTA and CTA on Notice Over Transit Safety, Threatens Funding

USDOT set a two‑week deadline for detailed safety plans with full funding disclosures.

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 and CTA order reports within 14 days detailing steps to deter crime, curb fare evasion and improve cleanliness, plus itemized safety and security funding for fiscal years 2025–2026 including federal sources.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cites recent attacks on both systems and the Charlotte killing of Iryna Zarutska as justification, while also criticizing cashless bail policies in Boston and Chicago.
  • Duffy urges the MBTA to direct federal grants toward security at Boston’s South Station, with officials signaling possible redirected or withheld funds if responses fall short.
  • MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng says the agency will comply and emphasizes ongoing safety efforts, and the CTA acknowledges the letter and plans to respond within the timeline.
  • The directive follows similar warnings this year to transit agencies in New York, Washington and Los Angeles, as some experts note federal dollars largely support capital projects rather than daily policing.