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last mo.

USDOT Puts MBTA, CTA on 14-Day Clock to Show Safety Steps or Risk Federal Funds

The order ties safety reporting to potential redirection of capital grants with special attention to Boston’s South Station.

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

  • Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy sent formal letters to MBTA General Manager Philip Eng and CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen directing written reports within 14 days on measures to deter crime, stop fare evasion, and maintain clean facilities.
  • The agencies must summarize all safety and security funding for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, including any federal sources such as Department of Homeland Security grants.
  • Duffy invoked the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte and cited recent local incidents, including an elderly woman shoved off an MBTA bus, a belt attack near Harvard Square, and a CTA employee punched and thrown onto Blue Line tracks.
  • Both the MBTA and CTA acknowledged receipt of the letters and said they will provide the requested information, with Eng emphasizing safety as the agency’s top priority.
  • USDOT warned of consequences up to redirecting or withholding support, and it singled out Boston’s South Station for heightened scrutiny following earlier talk of possible federal intervention at the hub.