U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to pull the Chicago Transit Authority’s federal funding over safety and security concerns in a Sept. 11 letter sent to Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen.
In the letter, Duffy requested that the CTA provide the Federal Transit Administration with information on the agency’s safety and security practices by Sept. 24.
“People traveling on the CTA system to reach their jobs, education, healthcare, and other critical services need to feel secure and travel in a safe environment free from crime, and workers who operate the system need to be assured of a safe operating environment to provide transportation services,” Duffy wrote in the letter. “The transit riders and workers of Chicago deserve nothing less.”
The CTA must provide the FTA with its plans to reduce crime and fare evasion, as well as information about previous fare evasion trends.
Additionally, the FTA requested information on CTA funds put toward improving the security of passengers and workers. The budgeted funds are broken down into three categories: security, safety and non-FTA funds.
Duffy’s letter came shortly after the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, on a public bus in North Carolina.
“While local leaders seem intent on putting the needs of criminals first, we’re not waiting for the next Iryna,” Duffy wrote in the press release. “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.”
The threat of a reduction in federal funding comes as Chicago’s public transit system, which includes the CTA, is projected to face a $770 million budget deficit in 2026.
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