New York Seeks More Federal Transit Funds; Transportation Secretary Pushes Back

Gov. Kathy Hochul cites the MTA’s national importance while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demands accountability and a safety plan.

People exit a subway train at a Brooklyn station in New York City, on Nov. 18, 2020. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

New York state leaders on March 24 asked the federal government to significantly increase funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), saying that the nation’s busiest transit system is vital to the U.S. economy.

In a joint letter on March 24, Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, all Democrats, appealed to federal officials, including President Donald Trump, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and Republican leaders in both houses of Congress.