Federal transportation officials have put Boston’s transit system, the MBTA, under a harsh spotlight, threatening to withhold millions in federal funding unless the agency demonstrates swift, concrete improvements to safety and public order. The move, announced in a pair of letters and public statements by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on September 18 and 19, 2025, comes amid a broader push by the Trump administration to link federal support for local transit to aggressive crackdowns on crime, fare evasion, and what officials describe as disorderly behavior on public transportation.
In a letter sent to MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, Duffy demanded detailed information about the agency’s safety practices and expenditures, specifically asking how the T plans to reduce crime, vagrancy, and fare evasion system-wide. The letter, which gave the MBTA just two weeks to respond or risk losing federal support, cited two recent high-profile incidents: a woman being shoved off a bus and a man attacking another passenger with a belt near Harvard Square. While the letter did not include comprehensive crime statistics, it painted a picture of a system under siege from both criminal activity and policy choices that, in the administration’s view, enable repeat offenders.
“Chicago and Boston are on notice to take actions that enhance safety and reduce the crime affecting their riders and transit workers – or risk federal support,” Duffy wrote in a public statement released Friday. “This is about standing up for American families who deserve a safe and clean transportation system.” According to the Boston Globe, Duffy’s letter also restated the federal government’s interest in the safety of South Station and other major transit facilities, requesting specific details on how MBTA is protecting passengers there.
The Trump administration’s demands come as part of a wider campaign targeting transit agencies in several major U.S. cities. Similar letters have been sent to the Chicago Transit Authority and, earlier this year, to transit authorities in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. The administration has also taken a hard line on other urban issues, including launching federal immigration enforcement operations in Greater Boston and sending the National Guard into other cities.
In his statement, Duffy was sharply critical of local policies such as cashless bail, which he argued allow “deranged criminals to repeatedly terrorize public spaces.” To illustrate the stakes, he referenced the August 22, 2025, stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina commuter train, an incident that, while not involving the MBTA, was cited as emblematic of the risks facing transit riders nationwide.
MBTA General Manager Phil Eng responded publicly on Friday, emphasizing the agency’s ongoing efforts to improve safety and modernize the system. “We value and appreciate our long-standing partnerships with the USDOT and FTA, and we have a common goal to ensure that riders are safe and feel safe while using public transportation,” Eng said in a statement issued Friday afternoon. He added, “As the MBTA and its Transit Police Department continue to work together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, I want to assure the public that safety is at the heart of everything we do at the T.”
Eng also highlighted the MBTA’s recent crackdown on fare evasion, a move partially spurred by a staggering $230 million decline in fare revenue compared to pre-pandemic levels. Earlier this month, the agency began stepping up enforcement against fare dodgers, a campaign that Eng said is part of a broader push for system-wide improvements. “I would say the system is safe,” Eng said during an interview for WCVB’s “On The Record.” “These are rare; one occurrence is too much.”
According to Eng, the MBTA has made significant investments in modernization, technology, accessibility, and infrastructure. These efforts, he said, are already yielding results as ridership continues to rebound. “We’re building back trust with the riding public because the T is a safe, dependable system riders can rely on,” Eng said. “We look forward to providing the requested information and we'll continue to demonstrate the significant progress that we've made working with the FTA.”
The administration’s focus on crime and safety marks a shift from previous federal oversight, which often centered on rail safety, infrastructure upgrades, and operational improvements. Under Eng’s leadership, the MBTA has attempted to address long-standing issues stemming from decades of underinvestment, with some notable progress. However, the Trump administration’s approach brings crime, fare evasion, and encounters with individuals experiencing homelessness or mental health crises to the forefront of the debate.
Not everyone is convinced that the administration’s tactics are warranted—or helpful. State Senator Brendan Crighton, who chairs the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation, called Duffy’s letter “misguided” and “just another political game.” He argued that the state takes crime seriously, but said the letter amounted to a “blind accusation” lacking in statistical support. “At a time when we're making the investments to improve our system, when we've made a ton of progress, to threaten to take away funding just doesn't make any sense at all,” Crighton told the Boston Globe.
The federal government’s heightened scrutiny of Boston’s transit system comes as local officials and transit advocates grapple with the twin challenges of restoring public confidence and shoring up finances in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The MBTA, like many transit agencies nationwide, has struggled with declining ridership and revenue, even as it faces pressure to improve safety and reliability.
Deputy U.S. Transportation Secretary Steven Bradbury, in remarks last month during the launch of Amtrak’s NextGen Acela trains, echoed Duffy’s concerns about the need for safer, cleaner, and more welcoming transit environments. “Similarly, here in South Boston, we need to address the cleanliness, the crime, the safety and security of the station for the rail workers, for the passengers, because the people of Boston deserve that,” Bradbury said. “All the people up and down the Northeast Corridor and Americans who travel on these trains, they need and deserve beautiful rail facilities.”
As the MBTA prepares its formal response to the federal demands, both supporters and critics of the administration’s approach agree on one thing: the stakes are high. With vital federal funding hanging in the balance, the outcome of this standoff could shape not only the future of public transit in Boston but also set a precedent for how the federal government intervenes in local transportation policy across the country. For now, riders, workers, and city officials are left waiting to see what comes next.
