The federal government is after the MTA again, this time on Tuesday asking the agency for answers regarding transit worker safety.
New Federal Transit Administration (FTA) boss Marc Molinaro followed up to a special directive given under President Joe Biden’s administration last year telling the MTA’s NYC Transit to strengthen safety measures after a 57-year-old Hilarion Joseph, a track maintenance employee working as a flagger, was struck and killed by a train on the job near Midtown’s Herald Square station in November 2023.
Associate administrator and chief safety officer at the FTA, Joe DeLorenzo, wrote a “final warning letter” to the MTA on Aug. 19 to address safety risks for train maintenance workers. DeLorenzo wrote that the FTA “rejects the second safety risk assessment (SRA), which NYC Transit submitted on Jan. 27, 2025,” adding that the federal government could take “prompt enforcement action” by withholding funds to the state-run agency if it does not respond.
The recent letter is separate from the U.S. Department of Transportation letter sent in March 2025, which was focused on transit crime-related issues.
“I am disturbed by the MTA’s failure to reinforce safety measures following serious accidents—one resulting in the death of a transit worker,” Molinaro said. “Secretary Duffy has said time and again, safety is USDOT’s top priority, and we will not accept anything less than full accountability. Let me be very clear: We will not accept being jerked around on safety and security issues any longer. By anyone, anywhere.”
Last year, the feds found a growing safety problem for MTA workers.
According to an FTA probe last year following Joseph’s death, NYC Transit experienced 38 potential employee-near misses in 2023, a 58% increase from 24 incidents in 2022 and a 65% increase from 23 events in 2021.
The MTA has 30 days to respond to the latest letter with a safety plan that includes the incorporation of recent risk trends, application of appropriate exposure measures and “alignment of probability classification with operational reality.”
Meanwhile, the MTA said NYC Transit has met with the FTA regularly to discuss employee safety.
John McCarthy, the agency’s policy and external relations chair, said in a statement that the FTA’s questions were already answered this year. He called the letter “threatening” and described it as a punitive action in response to the “successful implementation” of congestion pricing in Manhattan, which the federal government is trying to end in an ongoing court battle.
“Clearly this was not urgent for Washington until it was decided it was time to fire off yet another letter and press release in what is a pattern of threatening letters and punitive actions by USDOT following New York’s successful implementation of the first in nation Congestion Pricing program,” McCarthy said.
He added that many federal officials “struggle with facts” before outlining safety points.
“Crime in the New York subway system, patrolled by the NYPD, continues to drop, New York City streets have less traffic and are safer, transit ridership continues to grow in a system that won’t compromise on safety for customers or employees and mass transit service delivery is the best in years. A federal judge has made it absolutely clear that punishing New York for maintaining congestion pricing is a violation of his injunction, which remains in effect.”
McCarthy added that the MTA is reviewing the latest letter to determine “any appropriate legal action.”
