MTA faces looming pressure from Washington as transit safety deadline quickly approaches
The MTA’s deadline to respond to the government is March 31.
The pressure is on for the MTA to prove to the federal government how it is prioritizing subway safety.
If it fails to do so, it risks losing billions of dollars in funding from the federal government.
This pressure comes after U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy made a demand last week that the MTA provide proof of how it is prioritizing subway safety.
The MTA shot back with some answers on Wednesday. It shared that as of March 16, overall subway crimes are down by over 20% throughout the system since last year. In addition, overall major crimes are at its lowest ever in recorded history, it says. .
One thing most New Yorkers will not be happy to hear is that felony assaults are up.
Chief Michael Kemper spoke about this during the MTA’s monthly board meeting, sharing that felony assaults have “dramatically risen over the years,” up 55% since 2019. Felony assault arrests have also risen.
Safety concerns loom among New Yorkers, as a 16-year-old boy was the victim of this statistic on Wednesday. He was stabbed at the Coney Island Stowell Avenue subway station.
The MTA’s deadline to respond to the government is March 31.
