The MTA Board on Wednesday approved a series of procurement contracts worth more than $100 million combined, while officials disclosed an internal investigation into the agency's Eagle Team fare-enforcement officers that has paused the program.
The board approved three Transit Authority procurements, including a $83.4 million Siemens Mobility contract and a $36.9 million NFI parts deal, along with $17.3 million in Capital Program Committee procurements.
The Finance Committee's $139 million in procurements included a $94 million MetLife insurance contract and modifications to Cubic's fare-system contract, including a five-year option for the point-of-sale network valued at $38 million. An MTA official said the agency is withholding payments from Cubic when the company misses performance targets.
"If Cubic is not delivering on the KPIs set in the contract, we are withholding payments for those not met," said Jay, an MTA official.
The board also voted to accept the agency's second-quarter 2026 consolidated financial statements and reappointed Deloitte as its external auditor, both despite a lack of quorum, with members present voting in favor.
Demetrius Critchlow told the board that the Eagle Team fare-enforcement program has been paused pending a top-to-bottom internal investigation by the agency's Special Investigations and Review unit, which he said is expected to conclude mid-to-late next week. One board member asked for a review of how Eagle Team hires are vetted, including checking their prior law enforcement complaint histories.
During a press question-and-answer session after the meeting, a reporter asked officials about the City Council's Progressive Caucus, made up of 23 members, which has called for ending Eagle Team fare enforcement, citing disproportionate deployment in low-income communities.
Earlier in the meeting, during public comment, Lisa Daglian of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee warned that a federal continuing resolution has cut $250 million in fiscal year 2027 formula funding for the MTA, with another funding deadline looming Dec. 11.
"That guaranteed funding for multi-year projects hits the MTA for $250 million of formula funding for FY27," Daglian said.
LIRR President Rob Free told the board that ridership is approaching 95% of 2019 levels, with more than 300,000 riders Tuesday through Friday, and that the railroad set a ridership record for the US Open Tennis Championship.
"This past September, we had another record-breaking year for the US Open Tennis Championship, with over 208,000 riders using our service, breaking last year's record by more than 22,000 riders," Free said.
A board member pushed back on recent criticism of the MTA's fare-evasion ticketing policy, saying, "That is fare evasion. If you are on the system and you're riding the system you're responsible to pay."
At a press Q&A after the meeting, a reporter said residents at a recent public scoping session for the 125th Street subway extension in West Harlem raised concerns about construction impacts on local businesses and about gentrification and displacement, though the MTA said speakers at the session were in favor of the project.