US threatens to withhold transit funds over New York subway safety issues

The U.S. Transportation Department said Tuesday it may withhold up to 25% of federal transit funding for New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority over safety risks for track maintenance workers if the agency does not improve.

The department's Federal Transit Administration issued a directive in August 2024 to the MTA's New York City Transit after the agency did not improve safety measures between the November 2023 death of a track maintenance employee and a second serious injury to an employee in June 2024, the agency said.

The MTA must submit a new comprehensive risk assessment of its Rail Transit Roadway Worker Protection within 30 days, the department said Tuesday. The MTA did not immediately comment.