Transportation Secretary Threatens to Withhold NYC Transit Funds Over Crime

Sean Duffy warned the MTA to improve transit security or risk losing federal funds, citing crime and fare evasion concerns amid broader policy disputes.

Passengers enter a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) subway in New York City, N.Y., on June 29, 2017. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that it could lose critical federal funding unless it provides a comprehensive plan to address crime and safety issues on the city’s subway and bus systems.

In a letter sent on March 18 to MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber, Duffy outlined concerns over public safety, fare evasion, and violent crime in the city’s transit system.