The standoff between Trump administration and New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) over subway safety and crime statistics has intensified with a recent ultimatum from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. As reported by ABC7NY, Duffy mandated the MTA to furnish a detailed safety plan to mitigate crime, including measures to lower occurrences of assaults and fare evasion, or face potential financial consequences. Duffy emphasized the importance for passengers to travel without fear, and for workers to operate in a secure environment.
Responding to the federal government's pressure, MTA officials insist on progress already made in reducing crime and enhancing safety in the transit system. John McCarthy, the MTA's chief of policy and external relations, highlighted the reduction in criminal activity, telling Gothamist, "The good news is numbers are moving in the right direction: crime is down 40% compared to the same period in 2020 right before the pandemic, and so far in 2025 there are fewer daily major crimes in transit than any non-pandemic year ever." Additionally, fare evasion saw a significant decrease in the latter part of the preceding year.
The Trump administration is concurrently targeting MTA's congestion pricing toll program, with a demand to terminate the initiative designed to reduce traffic congestion in Manhattan and generate revenue for the transit agency. The dispute has cascaded into the courts, as the state challenges the administration's directive to cease operations of the program by Friday, March 21. Governor Kathy Hochul has been vocal about preserving the congestion pricing program, asserting its benefits for New York's traffic situation and economic health.
In the midst of this push and pull, the MTA is grappling with considerable budgetary pressures. The agency faces a $33 billion shortfall in its upcoming five-year plan, which aims to restore essential infrastructure. This does not account for the $14 billion already marked by the federal government. Hochul's spokesperson, Avi Small, assured the public that safety remains the governor's "top priority" and mentioned the deployment of more than 1,000 uniformed public safety personnel into the subways in the past year, as detailed by Gothamist.
The deadline for the MTA to respond to the Trump administration's safety plan requirements is rapidly approaching, with March 31st as the cutoff.
