Duffy calls out LA leaders for protests' impact on transit

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has asked the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) to provide a detailed plan by July 10 on what it's doing to reduce crime and fare evasion and maintain cleanliness on its transit system.

In a letter to LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, Duffy asked the agency to submit to the Federal Transit Administration information about LA Metro's practices and expenditures to reduce crime and fare evasion, including information about all LA Metro fiscal-year 2025 budgeted and FY2026 planned funds to reduce crime and fare evasion on the transit system, including a comparison to prior year funding for such expenses. expenditures.

"I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter to avoid further consequences, up to and including redirecting or withholding [federal] funding," Duffy wrote.

Progressive Railroading has reached out to LA Metro for a comment on Duffy's letter. Meanwhile, LA Metro staff yesterday updated the board with a report that outlines the agency's procedures for managing service disruptions during protests or civil demonstrations, including how decisions are made around temporary bus detours and rail station closures and rider communication. It covered the agency’s protocols when interacting with law enforcement entities such as ICE.

Also yesterday, Duffy wrote to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass about his concern over disruptions to transit-system access that have occurred due to protests of the Trump administration's immigration deportation raids in the city. In the letter, Duffy told Bass that her "failure" to stop what he described as "violent riots" in the city have stopped bus and light-rail riders from accessing transit service that is federally funded.

"Closing stations, cancelling bus routes, and redirecting rail lines is a direct result of your inability or unwillingness to control the protests and violent mobs that paralyzed Los Angeles. I'm grateful President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines to stop the chaos," Duffy wrote.

Duffy added that her "slow action" has left the USDOT concerned about her ability to handle the transportation logistics during the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the 2028 Summer Olympics games that will be handled in Los Angeles.

The secretary asked Bass to send his department by July 26 an update on all transit-related closures; how the L.A. Police is collaborating with transit police and federal officials to "restore order;" the safety protocols in place to address future "riots" or unlawful activity; and resources that will be deployed to ensure fans safety in using transit to get to the games. 

Bass has condemned the violent demonstrations and also taken issue with the Trump administration's assessment of the protests against ICE and deportations.

In a statement issued Thursday as reported by California news media, Bass said: "This [Trump] administration has instilled fear in our city by ripping families apart at a time when we should be coming together. ... If the [Duffy] is concerned about wasted money, he should start with the more than $130 million taxpayer dollars being spent to deploy soldiers in Los Angeles.”