U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy pushed the New York MTA — the nation’s largest transit agency — to clean up its subways and buses so passengers and workers can enjoy a safer, crime-free commute. 

As noted in the letter, Duffy urged the MTA to act promptly to ensure compliance and avoid additional Federal Transit Administration (FTA) enforcement actions, such as the redirecting or withholding of federal funding.

Bolstering Transportation Security

The latest letter is in line with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Administration’s broader focus on bolstering transportation security, including within the nation’s capital. 

In a March 18 letter, Secretary Duffy directed Janno Lieber, MTA’s chair and CEO, to outline what actions the New York City Transit (NYCT) is taking to restore safety and regain the traveling public’s trust. This includes steps to improve security for passengers and workers on NYCT subways and buses, reducing crime, and crack down on fare evasion. 

Specifically, the letter requires the MTA to provide detailed information about plans to: 

• Reduce crime, including assaults on customers.

• Address violence against transit workers.

• Reduce injuries and fatalities from suicide events and “subway surfing,” the dangerous practice of riding atop subway cars in service.

• Deter fare evasion. 

Continuing the FTA’s Call for Transit Safety

Last year, FTA issued a general directive requiring more than 700 transit agencies, including MTA, to address assaults on transit workers by conducting risk assessments and identifying strategies to address those risks. That industry-wide directive was preceded by a special directive to nine transit agencies that had reported the most assaults perpetrated on workers to provide information to FTA. 

Among the nine was MTA, which FTA required to submit documentation explaining how the transit agency had assessed the risk of assaults against workers. MTA responded with the required documents. 

Also last year, FTA issued special directives to MTA and the New York Public Transportation Safety Board, calling on those agencies to take corrective actions to better protect transit workers who maintain and inspect the tracks. 

The latest USDOT letter requires information about the status of actions in response to FTA’s directives, including the status of transit worker de-escalation training, installing video surveillance, and launching police patrols. 

It also requires MTA to document all sources of funding used in safety programs and initiatives. Federal law allows transit recipients to use both formula funds and capital grants for projects to combat crime and improve safety and security.