Feds Warn MTA: Improve Subway Safety or Lose Funding

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Trump administration threatens to cut MTA funding unless subway crime data is provided by March 31, putting billions in transit dollars at risk.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's letter demands detailed plans from MTA Chair Janno Lieber to tackle crime, protect workers, and stop fare jumping.

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"We will continue to fight to ensure federal tax dollars are going towards a crime-free commute," Duffy stated firmly in his demands to the transit agency.

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MTA Chief John McCarthy countered with positive stats: subway crime is down 40% compared to pre-pandemic 2020 figures.

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McCarthy also highlighted that 2025 is tracking to have fewer daily major crimes in the subway system than any non-pandemic year on record.

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Fare evasion has dropped 25% in the second half of last year after spiking during COVID, according to MTA officials.

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An unnamed MTA representative said the agency is "happy to discuss its efforts" with the Transportation Department while emphasizing that safety numbers are improving.

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This federal pressure on local transit creates tension between Washington's oversight agenda and New York's complex transit management challenges.

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