WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Rouzer, Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, led a bipartisan closed-door roundtable discussion with transit and law enforcement officials and stakeholders to discuss the need to identify actionable solutions to improve safety on publicly funded transportation systems and restore the public’s trust in transit
"The recent deadly stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail is a stark reminder safety must be at the center of our national transit conversation. While law enforcement and the justice system have their obligations to keep the public safe and ensure that justice prevails, Congress has an obligation to address any shortcomings that threaten public safety and implement appropriate measures of deterrence and prevention," said Rep. David Rouzer. “This roundtable was an essential step in ensuring every rider can feel safe when they step onto public transit. By bringing together transit leaders and law enforcement, we’re focused on real, actionable solutions to protect riders, strengthen community confidence, and uphold the fundamental promise of safe, accessible public transportation systems for all Americans."
“As President Trump and Secretary Duffy have made clear, the safety of American families, including those relying on our transit systems to provide for their families, pursue an education, and make those important medical appointments, is a top priority for this Administration. FTA will continue to hold our transit partners and their leaders accountable until we see significant progress in the experience our commuters and transit workers are living through in our major cities. We’ve been given a mandate to clean up our buses and subways and we will deliver for the moms, dads, and children relying on these public services,” said Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Marcus Molinaro, who participated in today’s roundtable.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), crime on public transportation systems has been generally worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the five years prior to the pandemic, the average number of homicides on transit systems more than doubled in the five-year period between 2020 and 2024. Over the same period, assaults on transit systems increased by 80 percent.
The T&I Committee and the Highways and Transit Subcommittee are in the ongoing process of developing a major bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill for this Congress; this bill will provide funding authorizations and policy changes for federal highways, transit, and other surface transportation programs. The current surface transportation authorization expires on September 30, 2026. One of the chairmen’s goals for the transit portion of the reauthorization bill will be to make transit work for communities of all sizes by ensuring that transit services are safe and reliable. Criminal activity on transit systems can undermine public confidence, decrease ridership, and damage the effectiveness and sustainability of those systems.
