Chairman Graves Welcomes KCPD Chief Graves to T & I Roundtable on Improving Safety on U.S. Transit Systems

WASHINGTON, DC - Leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Republican Conference, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) joined in calling for improving the safety of America's public transportation systems, following a roundtable meeting on the issue today held by T&I's Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Graves invited Kansas City Chief of Police Stacey Graves to participate in today's bipartisan closed-door roundtable discussion with transit and law enforcement officials and stakeholders.

Graves continued, "The next surface transportation reauthorization bill that our committee is currently developing will seek to make federal transit programs work for the traveling public, transit system workers, and taxpayers who expect their tax dollars to be spent wisely for the public good. Fortunately, the Trump Administration, Secretary Duffy, and FTA Administrator Molinaro are also making safety on our transit systems a top priority of the Federal Transit Administration's. I look forward to working with them, my committee colleagues, the stakeholders at today's roundtable, and others to bolster the safety of our publicly funded transit systems. I also want to thank Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves for participating in today's roundtable and providing the Committee with an invaluable law enforcement perspective on this important public safety issue."

Congressman David Rouzer (R-NC), Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, led the discussion on 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," said Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC). "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. 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."

"It was impossible not to think of the safety of my own daughter when watching the video of Iryna Zarutka's brutal murder," said House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI). "No parent should have to fear for their child's safety on a city bus or train. I stand with Chairman Graves, Chairman Rouzer, and the Trump Administration as they move fast to crack down on crime, secure our transit systems, and restore law and order so American families can travel without fear."

"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. Recently, on August 22, 2025, Iryna Zarutska was murdered on the light rail system in Charlotte.

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.

Transit and law enforcement officials and stakeholders who participated in today's roundtable:

• Federal Transit Administration Administrator Marcus Molinaro
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President and Chief Executive Officer Paul P. Skoutelas
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke
• Kansas City, Missouri Police Chief Stacey Graves
• Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO President Greg Regan

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