US threatens to withhold funds from Boston, Chicago transit agencies

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration said on Friday it may withhold federal transit funding for Boston and Chicago if they do not take additional actions to ensure the safety of subway and bus riders and transit workers.

The U.S. Transportation Department pointed to recent incidents involving the Chicago Transit Authority and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority involving injured passengers and sent letters to both cities demanding responses within two weeks.

Last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it could withhold up to 25% of New York City's federal transit funding if it does not improve safety for subway workers. Duffy is also pushing for an end to New York City's congestion mitigation program.

Chicago and Boston are the third- and fourth-largest transit systems in the U.S. President Donald Trump has decried crime in large U.S. cities and threatened to send National Guard troops to additional cities after deploying them to Washington, D.C.

Transit safety has attracted fresh attention after a man was charged with stabbing a Ukrainian refugee to death last month on a North Carolina train.

"Chicago and Boston, it's time to clean up your transit systems and keep the American people safe," Duffy said.

Phillip Eng, CEO of Boston's transit authority, said in a statement this week that he spoke to the head of the Federal Transit Administration to discuss "our shared commitment in ensuring the security of every passenger, and we are in agreement about providing the safest commute possible for all riders and employees."

He said the authority would provide the requested information and continue to demonstrate significant progress.

The Chicago Transit Authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. Department of Transportation previously sent letters to transit agencies in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles outlining concerns about safety and security on their systems.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul and Edmund Klamann)

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