Gov. Kathy Hochul cites the MTA’s national importance while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demands accountability and a safety plan.
New York state leaders on Monday asked the federal government to significantly increase funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), saying that the nation’s busiest transit system is vital to the U.S. economy.
In a joint letter on March 24, Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, all Democrats, appealed to federal officials, including President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and Republican leaders in both houses of Congress.
The New York leaders asked that federal funding levels align with the MTA’s 43 percent share of the nation’s mass transit ridership.
“Each day, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority carries more than six million passengers (and climbing) across its bridges, tunnels, subways, trains and buses, supporting New York’s $2 trillion economy—by far the largest metropolitan economy in the United States representing approximately 8 percent of our nation’s gross domestic product,” the letter stated.
“With 15.3 million residents living in the MTA’s service area, and more than 4.7 million jobs in New York City alone, it is vital that our transit system be able to get New Yorkers where they need to go safely and efficiently.”
The request centers around the MTA’s newly approved 2025–2029 capital plan, which includes new railcars, modern signals, station accessibility, and system expansion.
According to the letter, the five-year plan is projected to generate $106 billion in statewide economic output and support more than 70,000 jobs annually.
The MTA carries nearly half of all mass transit riders in the country while receiving 17 percent of federal transit formula funding, according to the letter. The letter stated that this is a “fundamental misalignment” and urged federal officials to address the discrepancy in the next surface transportation reauthorization.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy responded on social media, questioning the state’s management of the transit agency.
“Outrageous! Governor Hochul is asking for more money for the horribly run MTA,” Duffy said in a post on X alongside a copy of the letter. “The MTA is running a deficit thanks to NY’s financial mismanagement, and they already receive billions in federal funding.”
Duffy accused the state of neglecting core issues such as public safety and financial oversight.
“Instead of addressing rampant crime that’s scaring riders away or actually fixing their financial mismanagement, the state is trying to fill the gap with highway funds and taxing the working class,” he wrote.
He cited a rise in transit-related assaults and criticized the capital plan for not including security improvements.
“How could the state’s modernization plans say nothing about making transportation systems safer?” Duffy asked.
“Before we make any changes to funding decisions, we’d like to see their plan to make the subway reliable, secure, and clean,” he added. “The federal government is not a blank check, and we will hold NYC leaders accountable for not keeping commuters safe.”
The MTA reported 1.2 billion riders in 2024, with a 10 percent increase in ridership so far in 2025, according to the letter. It also stated that the bulk of the agency’s capital investments are funded by local toll and fare revenue, as well as contributions from the city and state.