A top Trump administration transportation official delivered a blunt message to public transit leaders from across the country in Boston this week: the federal government expects them to do more to keep their riders safe.

Speaking at a national public transit conference, Federal Transit Administrator Marc Molinaro pressured officials to crack down on fare evasion, harassment and assaults on public buses and trains — the type of behavior he said escalated into more serious and dangerous crime.

“If you don’t feel safe, nothing else matters,” Molinaro said.

His comments came as President Donald Trump and other Republicans call for ramped-up law enforcement, particularly in some Democratic-led cities.

In recent weeks, they have criticized local officials in Charlotte, N.C., for failing to

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