President Trump’s head of transportation, Sean Duffy, sharply criticized Governor Kathy Hochul for requesting additional federal funds to support the struggling MTA amid growing concerns over subway safety.
Duffy expressed his frustration with the New York Democrat in a social media post on Tuesday, accusing the MTA of being poorly managed while tensions continue to rise between the federal government and New York over the contentious Manhattan congestion toll.
“Outrageous! Governor Hochul is asking for MORE money for the horribly run MTA,” Duffy stated in a post on X. “The MTA is running a deficit thanks to NY’s financial mismanagement, and they already receive billions in federal funding.”
He continued, “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.”
Duffy’s anger flared after Hochul, alongside Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester), sent a letter urging the federal government to revise its funding structure for the MTA.
The letter, addressed to Duffy, former President Trump, and Republican congressional leaders, stated that the federal government is not contributing its fair share to the MTA.
“While the MTA carries 43 percent of the nation’s mass transit riders, its share of federal transit formula funding is only 17 percent,” the letter claimed.
“We believe this is a fundamental misalignment.”
This back-and-forth is just the latest chapter in a months-long dispute between Duffy and Hochul, which ignited over the governor’s $9 toll for vehicles entering Midtown Manhattan. While the toll was initially promoted as a way to alleviate congestion and raise crucial revenue for the MTA, it quickly became a flashpoint in the ongoing feud.
In February, Duffy announced he would block federal approval for the congestion pricing plan, a decision that President Trump cheered by tweeting, “LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Hochul and MTA leaders swiftly filed a lawsuit in an attempt to prevent Duffy’s decision from taking effect, asserting that they would continue to collect the tolls despite a deadline set by the Trump administration, as long as the legal battle continued.
Meanwhile, Hochul pursued discussions with Trump regarding the redevelopment of Penn Station, while Duffy demanded transit safety data from the MTA, warning that federal funding could be withdrawn if the information was not provided.
MTA officials are hopeful that federal support will continue as they push forward with a $64.8 billion capital plan for the 2025-2029 period.
Duffy last week extended his deadline to end the congestion pricing initiative by 30 days, issuing a sharp rebuke along with a warning about potential cuts to the MTA’s federal funding.
In his latest statement, Duffy reiterated his position and sent a stern message to Governor Hochul.
“How could the state’s modernization plans say NOTHING about making transportation systems safer?” the post questioned.
“Before we make any changes to funding decisions, we’d like to see their plan to make the subway reliable, secure, and clean… The federal government is not a blank check, and we will hold NYC leaders accountable for not keeping commuters safe.”
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