The Trump administration threatened Tuesday that if the metropolitan transportation authorities did not respond to federal funding from the New York Mass Transportation Network if the metropolitan transportation authorities have a series of demands on efforts to prevent crime on urban subways and buses.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a letter that the MTA must provide a long list of details about crimes committed in the New York City transportation system, including spending on plans to combat it, or the prospect of losing numerous losses of federal funds.
The threat is an ongoing struggle between the Trump administration and state-run transport agencies, which began operations in Manhattan in January. Mr. Trump has proposed killing the plan and authorized to abandon it by Friday. Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA leaders have filed lawsuits to keep it intact.
Mr Duffy's letter did not mention congestion pricing, but transit experts and legal observers said the federal government could threaten to withdraw funds from other projects to gain leverage to oppose the losses.
The MTA relies on the federal government's billions of dollars a year to improve services and seeks $14 billion from Washington in its next five-year capital budget.
But it is not clear what the federal agency’s goal is. Subway crime has been lowered in New York City, and many data related to prevention are available publicly.
The letter sent to MTA chief Janno Lieber, who asked transit authorities to share in the past two years the number of attacks on transit workers; statistics on tax evasion; attacks on passengers, including the number of people pushed onto train tracks; and its efforts to prevent these crimes and other evidence of their requirements.
“Traveling on the NYCT system to achieve work, education, health care and other critical services requires feeling safe and traveling in a safe environment,” Mr Duffy wrote.
He added: “Thank you for your quick attention to this matter to avoid further consequences until and redirect or withhold funds.”
John J. McCarthy, head of policy and external relations at MTA, said in a statement that the agency was “happy to discuss” its continued efforts to reduce crime in the transit system. He noted that authorities have made progress, with subway crimes falling by 40%, shortly before the pandemic compared to the same period in 2020. He said fares are also falling.
Ed Shanahan Contribution report.
