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US threatens withholding transit funds due to New York subway safety concerns

If the U.S. Transportation Department does not improve, it could withhold up 25% of federal funding for New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's track maintenance workers.

According to the agency, the Federal Transit Administration of the Department issued a directive to New York City Transit in August 2024 after the MTA failed to improve safety measures following the death in November 2023 of a track-maintenance employee and the second serious injury in June 2024.

The MTA is required to submit a comprehensive risk assessment for its Rail Transit Roadway Worker Protection in 30 days. This was announced by the Department on Tuesday. The MTA declined to comment immediately.

In a recent statement, FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro stated: "I want to be clear. We will no longer accept being jerked about on safety and security matters."

A FTA audit conducted last year revealed significant safety shortcomings and instructed the agency to conduct additional oversight activities in order to address a pattern of safety incidents and concerns that have been affecting New York City Transit workers.

In 2023, the agency had 38 near-misses with potential employees. This is a 58% rise over 2022.

The Trump administration also threatened to cut off funding to the MTA over subway crimes and sparred against the MTA in its attempt to kill Manhattan’s congestion pricing program.

Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, threatened earlier this year to deny federal funding and approvals of other projects if the agency didn't end congestion pricing.

Congestion pricing was implemented in Manhattan in January. It charges a toll on vehicles traveling south of 60th Street. The program aims to reduce traffic in Manhattan, speed up the flow of vehicles, and raise money to fund mass transportation capital improvements. (Reporting and editing by Franklin Paul, Alistair Bell, and David Shepardson)

(source: Reuters)