The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit today received the Gold Standard Award from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in recognition of outstanding performance in transit security, earning a near-perfect score of 99.56 on its most recent Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) conducted in May 2025.
“Operating safe and reliable service go hand in hand at NYC Transit and this award demonstrates our commitment to delivering safe, dependable and efficient rides every day, for every rider,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Receiving the TSA Gold Standard Award is a testament to the hard work Transit employees put in every day to ensure we’re operating a safe system for everyone and it’s an honor to accept it on behalf of them.”
The TSA BASE is a voluntary program meant to enhance security, and the results enable the TSA to establish a security profile and baseline posture for mass transit passenger rail security programs, track any improvements or diminutions from the baseline, and inform future programmatic decisions and needs.
To earn the Gold Standard Award, agencies must achieve an overall score of 90% or higher and demonstrate outstanding performance across 17 Security Action Items (SAI). These items collectively evaluate how well an agency plans for, manages, and responds to security risks. These areas include emergency preparedness, employee training, risk management, cybersecurity, protection of sensitive information, coordination with local and regional partners, public awareness, and continuous auditing of security practices.
During the assessment, TSA inspectors gathered information through interviews with agency leadership and employees, reviews of security policies and training materials, and direct observations of system operations.