Duffy warns Chicago, Boston transit could lose federal funding over safety concerns

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Friday that Chicago and Boston risk losing federal support if their transit systems do not act to improve safety for riders and workers. In a news release, Duffy condemned what he described as the two cities’ failure to protect riders and transit employees, citing a string of violent incidents on the Chicago Transit Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. He said the federal government would not wait for change and urged local leaders to take concrete steps to curb crime, reduce fare evasion, and keep transit environments clean.

In formal letters to CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng, Duffy directed both agencies to submit written reports within 14 days detailing what actions have been taken to curb crime, stop fare evasion, and improve cleanliness. The letters also require a summary of funding sources for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 related to safety and security, including any funds from federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security. Duffy also criticized both cities’ cashless bail policies, which he said allow “deranged criminals to repeatedly terrorize public space.”

The president’s push follows a sequence of high-profile incidents that drew renewed scrutiny of safety on urban transit systems. Among the cited cases were the assault of a 27-year CTA veteran who was punched and thrown onto the tracks, an elderly woman shoved off an MBTA bus, and a case in which a man used his belt to assault passengers, according to the Department of Transportation’s release. Duffy cited these episodes as evidence that riders and workers are being endangered on a daily basis and urged corrective actions from city leadership. He also referenced a broader pattern of safety concerns that have drawn national attention in recent months, including prior warnings to other large systems earlier this year.

The letters come as MBTA General Manager Eng emphasized safety as the agency’s top priority following the incident involving the elderly woman on a Massachusetts bus. Eng said safety is at the forefront of all MBTA operations and stressed that such conduct would not be tolerated. He also noted that riders can report concerns anonymously through the MBTA’s See Say app. “Safety will always be at the forefront of everything we do, and I’m proud of the prompt response and investigation by the MBTA Transit Police that led to the arrest of this individual,” Eng said in a statement.

Duffy’s stance marks the latest in a series of federal cautions directed at major transit systems. In recent months, he has issued similar warnings to transit agencies in Washington, New York, and Los Angeles as part of his broader effort to curb fare evasion and improve safety. The push also comes in the wake of a high-profile national incident involving Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee fatally attacked on a North Carolina light-rail train last month, an event that galvanized national outrage and added pressure on agencies to demonstrate progress on security and rider protection. The CTA and MBTA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

As the 14-day reporting window begins, observers will be watching closely for specifics on how Chicago and Boston plan to address crime, enforcement, and security staffing, as well as how they will allocate and coordinate funding for safety initiatives in 2025 and 2026. Federal officials have signaled that continued support could be contingent on demonstrable reductions in crime and improvements in overall transit safety and cleanliness. The situation underscores the ongoing political and policy debate over how to fund and manage large urban transit systems in a climate of rising violence and evolving modes of transportation.