The Trump administration is threatening to pull federal funding from New York City鈥檚 transit system if it doesn鈥檛 provide a plan to address crime.
While New York transit officials point to publicly showing major crime on the subway system is trending down this year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted 鈥渁 number of high-profile safety related incidents" in a letter sent Tuesday to the head of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 keep your subway safe, if people can鈥檛 go to the subway and not be afraid of being stabbed or thrown in front of tracks or burnt ... we鈥檙e going to pull your money,鈥 Duffy said in a 鈥淔ox & Friends鈥 interview on Wednesday.
Transit systems in Chicago and Washington, D.C., also could lose critical federal dollars if they don鈥檛 clean up, Duffy said.
New York officials said they'd be happy to discuss how the MTA and NYPD are working to reduce crime and fare evasion.
鈥淭he 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,鈥 John McCarthy, the MTA鈥檚 chief of policy and external relations, said in a statement.
Violent crime is rare overall in New York's subway system, which carries millions of riders every day. Train cars and stations are generally as safe as any other public place. However, recent high-profile attacks, such as and , have left some riders on edge.
Major felonies in the system have ticked down overall the past few years, although the number of assaults have risen, from 373 in 2019 to 579 in 2024, according to NYPD data.
Officials have also moved to publicize existing efforts to and other offenses by deploying more police officers in the transit system. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, sent state members to the entrances of some of the city's busier stations last year in what she described as a visible deterrent against crime.
Duffy's letter seeks a list of the actions and plans New York officials have taken to address transit worker assaults, fare evasion and other criminal activity, including customer assaults and injuries. The letter specifically mentions 鈥減assengers being pushed in front of trains," 鈥渟ubway surfing鈥 and suicides.
The letter threatened to redirect or withhold funds if the agency doesn't comply with its request for information and gave a deadline of March 31. The MTA, which also runs New York City鈥檚 buses and regional rail networks, relies on a mix of local, state and federal funding. Its $68 billion, five-year capital plan through 2029 anticipates $14 billion in federal grants and funds.
New York also faces a Friday deadline to comply with a Trump administration Manhattan鈥檚 new . State officials have vowed to continue the tolling program, which is meant to thin traffic and pump new revenue into the nation鈥檚 busiest transit system.
Duffy's letter does not mention the congestion pricing issue.
